The Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit has made an arrest following Operation Stream; a global Europol-supported operation that resulted in the shut down of Kidflix, one of the largest child sexual exploitation platforms in the world.
The investigation was supported by Europol and led by the State Criminal Police of Bavaria (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and the Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime (ZCB). Over 35 countries worldwide participated in the operation, including Canada.
A total of 1.8 million users worldwide logged on to the platform between April of 2022 and March of 2025. On March 11, 2025, the server, which contained around 72000 videos at the time, was seized by German and Dutch authorities.
The investigation resulted in the identification of almost 1400 suspects in countries around the world. So far, 79 of these individuals have been arrested for sharing, distributing, and/or making child sexual abuse material, including one in Saskatchewan. The investigation into this global operation is ongoing. Additional information regarding Operation Stream can be found in Europol’s news release.
In February of 2025, the Saskatchewan ICE Unit was alerted through Operation Stream to a Kidflix user in Regina. Further investigation led to ICE investigators executing a search warrant at a residence in Regina on March 27, 2025. Several electronic devices were examined at the residence during the search. As a result, 23-year-old Edmund James Bellegarde Jr. was charged with;
- Possession of Child Pornography 163.1(4)
- Accessing Child Pornography 163.1(4.1)
Bellegarde was released on a number of conditions and his next court appearance will be on May 14, 2025 in Regina, Saskatchewan.
(Court Information Number: 991298716)
The Saskatchewan ICE Unit is comprised of investigators from the Saskatchewan RCMP, Regina Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service, and Prince Albert Police Service. Their mandate is to investigate crimes involving the abuse and/or exploitation of children on the internet.
For media inquiries, please contact: S/Sgt. Tim Failler, Saskatoon Police Service, 306-986-6164.
