Man arrested after search by police in Coxwell and Danforth area facing additional child pornography charges

A man arrested in the Coxwell and Danforth avenues area in April is facing additional child pornography charges.

After an investigation by the Toronto Police Service – Child Exploitation Section, a search warrant was executed on April 20 of this year.

Police allege a quantity of child sexual abuse material was located and seized in the search.

At that time, Richard Burdett, 55, of Toronto, was charged with luring a child under 18, possession of child pornography, access child pornography, make child pornography, and make available child pornography.

In a news release on July 21, police announced that additional charges had been laid against Burdett.

He is now charged with four counts of luring a child under age 18, two counts of sexual exploitation, make child pornography, two counts of possession of child pornography, and two counts of access child pornography.

Police allege that Burdett used a the following names on social media platforms: F_Stop_Fitzgerald and fstopvox.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-8500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 or online at https://www.222tips.com

In the news release, Toronto police said parents and caregivers are the frontline when it comes to protecting children on the Internet and electronic devices.

“We encourage you to remain vigilant in your efforts,” police said.

Along with contacting police, online exploitation can also be reported to Canada’s National Tipline for Reporting the Online Sexual Exploitation of Children at

Reporting of any online exploitation can also be made at Canada’s National Tipline for Reporting the Online Sexual Exploitation of Children at https://cybertip.ca/en/

Police said in the news release that the safety tips outlined below are recommended for children of any age:

Internet Safety Tips for Parents and Caregivers

 

1. Establish expectations for online behaviour and set consequences for inappropriate activity.
2. Draft and sign a “cell phone contract” with all parties involved.
3. Make it a house rule that devices are only to be used in public spaces-never in bathrooms or bedrooms.
4. Familiarize yourself with technology/social media and the dangers they present.
5. Help them safely set up age-appropriate social media accounts and ensure they choose strict privacy settings. Never use or share personal information, including pictures, and never share passwords (except with you!).
6. Monitor their online activities and regulate their time and usage of computer devices.
7. Use only child-safe search engines such as kidssearch.com and kiddle.co and use family safety software to limit and filter their browsing access.
8. Discuss strangers online are similar to strangers in real life. Never talk to anyone they don’t know in real life or online and don’t share personal information with them. People they meet online may NOT be who they say they are in real life.
9. Teach them about online dangers, digital footprints and what to do if they find inappropriate/illegal material.
10. Talk about who is in their safety net, who they can talk to about issues on the Internet.
11. Keep an open dialogue about Internet safety and the consequences of cyberbullying and sexting. Kids of any age should keep their privates private!
12. Rehearse specific, realistic scenarios so your child is armed with the tools and knowledge when presented with Internet-related issues. Prepare them and yourself on how to report any situation that makes them feel uncomfortable
13. Reassure them that you are there to protect them. Be approachable and informative – don’t be angry and judgemental.
14. Be aware of signs of grooming or that your child may be in trouble: hiding their online activity, becoming withdrawn, worried or depressed, etc.

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