“A case like this shows how widespread and normalized gender-based violence is…
this is a message to look at this as a systemic problem.”
Gwen O’Reilly, Executive Director, Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre (CBC Radio, February 13, 2025)
In a recent radio interview, Gwen O’Reilly spoke to CBC’s Michelle Allan about gender based violence after a massive cybercrime bust in Thunder Bay. Listen to the full radio interview
On February 5th, the Thunder Bay Police shared news of an extensive investigation into the non-consensual sharing of intimate content has resulted in 12 people being arrested and facing a total of 172 charges. Names of the accused and their charges were shared.
The Thunder Bay Police Service Cyber Crime Unit began investigating in 2023 after learning that multiple women in Thunder Bay had been having their images shared through groups in an online chat platform. A total of 117 victims have been identified through the investigation.
See also:
- Photos hacked directly from victims, some as young as 12: police (TB News Watch, Feb 6 2025)
- 90+ charges against one accused in major cyber crimes bust (TB News Watch, Feb 5 2025)
Below are some resources from Tech Safety Canada and Luke’s Place providing information about technology safety and to build a better understanding of what technology-facilitated violence is:
- Tech Safety Toolkit: Identify, manage & document tech abuse (Luke’s Place) is designed to help survivors take control of their digital safety
- Legal Remedies for Image-Based Abuse (Tech Safety Canada): this information sheet is designed to assist survivors and frontline anti-violence workers to better understand the legal causes of action available in response to various forms of image-based abuse
- What to Do If Someone Has Shared or Threatened to Share Your Intimate Image (Tech Safety Canada): this tip sheet provides information for teens who have had their nude or sexual images (photos or videos) distributed without their consent.
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