4 Medicine Hat men charged following crackdown on online child exploitation

CALGARY -- A police investigation into child pornography resulted in the arrest of four Medicine Hat men — including a 78-year-old — and the seizure of dozens of computers and electronic devices.

The investigation by the internet child exploitation unit (ICE) of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) into online child pornography led to the four arrests that took place between May 12 and 14.

The accused, who all face child pornography charges, are:

• Blaine Vadnais, 78
• Jeremy Unruh, 43
• Owen Michael Monteith, 34
• Thomas Bindr, 27

According to ALERT officials, there is no known link between the accused and none of the men work in professions of trust or authority.

As part of the investigation, police seized a total of 43 computers and electronic devices that will undergo a full forensic analysis.