A southern Alberta man faces criminal charges after police say they found more than half a million child sexual exploitation photos and videos in his possession. 

Officers with the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit arrested the 35-year-old man after seizing several hard drives and computers from his Okotoks home on May 26.

More than 500,000 child sexual exploitation photos and videos were discovered, one of the largest collections the unit has ever encountered, ALERT said in a news release.

In the past year, ICE identified 622,150 photos and videos containing child sexual exploitation from all of its investigations provincewide. 

“Behind every one of the photos and videos is a real child somewhere in this world that is being exploited for a sexual purpose. A collection of this size is deeply disturbing, as it would have also likely been used to trade and fuel demand,” said ICE Staff Sgt. Gordon MacDonald.

The accused has been charged with possessing and accessing child sexual abuse materials. 

The investigation started in January 2026 after the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre shared information about the suspect uploading child sexual exploitation materials, according to ALERT. 

Okotoks RCMP helped with the investigation.

The head of an Alberta organization that works with young victims of sexual exploitation and their families says the case highlights how pervasive the problem remains. 

“Preventing exploitation requires awareness, education, open communication, and a collective commitment to protecting young people,” said Luna CEO Karen Orser in an email to CBC News.

“Maintaining open conversations about healthy relationships and consent, understanding the apps and platforms children use, discussing privacy and online activity and safety, and encouraging children to seek help if something makes them uncomfortable can all help reduce risk.”

The accused was released from custody and is set to appear in court on Aug. 8 in Okotoks.