SERIOUS COLLISION INVESTIGATION

January 23, 2025 · 0 Comments

Officers from the Caledon OPP are investigating a serious collision on Highway 10.

“On January 21, 2025, just before 9:00 a.m., officers responded to a collision on Highway 10, near Beech Grove Sideroad, in the Town of Caledon,” say Police. “Four vehicles were involved. One driver was transported to a Toronto-area trauma centre with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”

Highway 10 between Charleston Sideroad and Country Road 109 was closed for several hours while the OPP Technical Collision Investigators and Reconstructionists assisted with the investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage is asked to contact Caledon OPP at 1-888-310-1122. You can also provide information anonymously by contacting Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at https://peelcrimestoppers.ca. When you contact Crime Stoppers, you stay anonymous, and you never have to testify.

If you are affected by this incident or witnessed the collision and wish to speak to victim services, Caledon/Dufferin Victim Services can be reached at 905-951-3838.

SEXTORTION INVESTIGATION

The Caledon OPP entered into two separate sextortion investigations that occurred on the same day.

“On January 15, 2025, officers received two reports of males ages 14- to 16-year-old that fell victim to sextortion,” say Police. “In both cases, they believed they were engaging in an online chat with a female and sent intimate images. They were then extorted with the suspects demanding money in exchange for not distributing the pictures.”

The investigations are ongoing, with the assistance from the Caledon OPP Major Crime Unit and the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 1-888-310-1122. You can also contact Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at https://peelcrimestoppers.ca. When you contact Crime Stoppers, you stay anonymous, and you never have to testify.

“The OPP remains committed to ensuring the public is aware of the many potential threats to public/personal safety in the real and virtual world and encourages everyone to ensure their online presence is as safe as it can be,” Police continue. “Parents are also encouraged to talk with their children about the potential threats they may encounter when using the Internet, social media, email and their mobile devices. Inform them that they can trust you and that they should not deal with these types of situations alone.”

For anyone finding themselves in a sextortion situation, remember these simple steps:

Stop the chat;

Take screenshots of the chat and profile;

Block the account and report it to the platform;

Report it to Cybertip.ca or police;

Get support through Cybertip.ca;

Don’t send any more images, don’t pay, don’t respond to demands, and don’t continue the conversation.

There are a number of resources for additional information and safety tips or for guidance when falling victim of sextortion:

Canadian Centre for Child Protection: Addition information and resources: https://www.protectchildren.ca;

Cybertip.ca: Canada’s national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children: https://www.cybertip.ca/en/;

NeedHelpNow.ca: For guidance when dealing with cyberbullying and online exploitation: https://needhelpnow.ca/en/;

GetCyberSafe.ca: National awareness campaign providing information on cyber security and steps for online security: https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/en;

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: To obtain information and report frauds: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/scams-fraudes/extortion-extorsion-eng.htm#a9

“It is an offence under Canada’s Criminal Code 162.1 (1) to share intimate images of a person without the consent of the person in the image. This offence came into force on March 10, 2015. This law applies to everyone, not just people under 18. The purpose of this offence is to protect the privacy a person has in his or her nudity or sexual activity. Several other Criminal Code offences also deal with bullying, including cyberbullying and extortion.”

SUPPORT FOR FRAUD VICTIMS

This week the OPP’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a new Victim Portal and website.

The Portal is a secure and user-friendly online platform designed to enhance communication and support for victims impacted by SFO-investigated fraud.

The Portal streamlines the SFO efforts in providing accessible, effective and confidential resources for those impacted by fraud. Individuals who are a victim of fraud that is under SFO investigation will be invited by a victim liaison to access the Portal.

The SFO recognizes the impact that fraud has on individuals and is committed to ensuring they receive a high standard of support according to the principles of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.

To align with their commitment, the Portal offers victims a streamlined way to access critical information, communicate directly with victim liaisons, stay informed about the status of their cases and receive information about their rights and the resources available to them. It also allows for victim liaisons to efficiently communicate important updates about on-going cases to many victims simultaneously.

The Portal was developed through a collaborative effort with victim liaisons, fraud investigators, Crown prosecutors and technology experts to ensure that the platform meets the unique needs of those impacted by fraud.

In addition to the Portal, general members of the public can view the new SFO website that offers valuable resources about fraud, how to report fraud, victims’ rights and the criminal justice system. To access the new informative website visit sfo.opp.ca.

Both the Victim Portal and the website have been designed to be mobile-friendly, to ensure information can be accessed whenever and wherever needed.