HUNTER: Almost all accused in Ontario online child luring sweep released

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“A country, a movement, a person that does not value its youth and children doesn’t deserve its future.” — Oliver Tambo

And Canada is just such a place if recent developments in the nation’s courtrooms are any indication.

On Thursday, with great fanfare, cops across the province announced they had arrested 36 men and hammered them with 128 charges as a result of an online child luring investigation. You can also toss in a slew of child pornography charges.

Cops accessed online chat rooms and social media to ID the alleged perverts and put the ‘cuffs on them. Good work, coppers!

But what happened next is vomit-inducing.

All except two of the suspected creeps were released on bail. You heard that right.

As the Sun’s Jane Stevenson reported, one of the accused allegedly arrived for their hoped-for tryst with an underage teen armed with snacks. Another brought a mish-mash of sexual paraphernalia.

One of the accused is already on the National Sex Offender Registry. None of these men are babes in the woods: The undercover detectives posed as children online, and then they waited.

As expected, the alleged pedophiles — or as the faculty lounge now calls them, Minor Attracted Persons — came like flies to feces. As part of the probe, cops rescued nine real victims.

But we should not be surprised by this latest outrage, according to Toronto criminal lawyer Monte MacGregor.

“Sexual offences — especially crimes against children — don’t have penalties that accord with the actual damage done,” MacGregor told the Toronto Sun.

“These victims may be able to walk, talk and look like they have no issues on the outside, but inside they’ve been psychologically destroyed.”

Among those arrested in the sweep was Steven Catucci, 47, of Whitby. DRPS alleged that Catucci thought he was talking to a 14-year-old girl. He then allegedly sent the teen sexually explicit images and arranged to meet in a Pickering park for sex.

Kanav Bhatia, 24, of Toronto, was also ensnared in the spider’s web. He allegedly lured and sexually assaulted two girls under the age of 16 in Peel. Cops say he used social media. He was also dinged with making child pornography.

Taking the prize for the oldest charged was James Daw, 73, of Hamilton. Investigators say Daw allegedly communicated online with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl. His missives to the girl allegedly contained “sexually explicit messages and images,” and she was asked to send him photos.

Investigators allege the man communicated on Chat IW with the username “JuniorJohnson.”

According to MacGregor, the goal for judges is a “categorical comparison of severity” and to find the true reflection of harm done.

“The potential for recidivism isn’t always captured. Sexual offences of this repugnant nature really call into question whether this offender should ever be released and whether any punishment will modify his inherent behaviour to endanger young children.”

He added, “I’m not a psychiatrist, but in the legal field, you have to ask whether rehabilitation is ever likely to occur.”

MacGregor noted that the Supreme Court of Canada has also called for increased penalties for crimes against children.

“These people have their wires completely disconnected, and there isn’t any amount of psychotherapy or medicine that can be administered to rewire their cognitive deficiencies,” he said.

“Eternally damaged and horrifically dangerous.”

The investigation continues. None of the charges have been tested in court.

PERSONS CHARGED – PROJECT SILKSTONE

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun

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