A 27-year-old man from St. John's, N.L., has been charged in connection with an investigation into online images of child sexual abuse.
The investigation began in August 2019, as a result of information received from the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre.
As a result of the investigation, the statutory release of a Newfoundland man who was serving time at a halfway house in Saint John was suspended, and an electronic device seized.
On October 15, a search warrant was executed on the device.
On December 9, Barry Austin Morningstar was charged with possession of child pornography and making child pornography. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Saint John Provincial Court on January 15, 2020, at 9:30 a.m.
The New Brunswick RCMP's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, which includes members from the Saint John and Kennebecasis Regional Police Forces, along with the RCMP's Digital Forensic Services, the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC) and members of the Saint John Police Force assisted during the course of the investigation.