The image analysis people "work their magic."
It starts with a picture of a completely unknown child who is being sexually abused on the internet.
The magic is finding out that child's identity and ending the abuse with a rescue.
"They work that image and work the investigation to the point where you walk through the door," said OPP Det. Staff Sgt. Frank Goldschmidt. "Even just to have that child sitting there in the home where the offender lives and you arrest him and you're able to identify that child, I know some of our officers get the glassy eye effect because its a major accomplishment when you're able to find that child."
Police announced Thursday that they charged 80 Ontario residents with a total of 274 offences in a multi-force investigation into child sexual abuse and child pornography.
Five Simcoe County residents were charged, including two from Barrie.
Twenty children were rescued as a result of this investigation and to officers, that was the reward.
"The biggest thing was the saving of those twenty victims," said Chief Superintendent Don Bell, commander of the OPP investigation and support bureau. "With this crime, it's not only being victimized once. Because it's on the internet the images are retransmitted every day, so it's re-victimization."
Police also identified and brought to safety nine victims of human trafficking, including 14, 15 and 16-year olds, who were either working as a minor or against their will.
The OPP worked with 26 police departments across the province , the RCMP, Canadian Border Services Agency, Canadian Forces National Investigation Service and United States Homeland Security investigations.
A total of 174 search warrants were executed and charges include sexual assault, possession of child pornography, making child pornography.
Drug and weapons-related charges were also laid.
"We can't arrest ourselves out of this problem," cautions Bell. "It's incumbent on all of us to make sure we don't have our head in the sand, to make sure that we're live to the issues. Check up on our kids. Don't use the internet as a babysitter."
John Strapco, 52, of Barrie is charged with two counts of possessing child pornography.
Another Barrie resident, aged 28, is charged with making sexually explicit material available to a child and luring a person under 18.
That person's identity was not released.
