A 43-year-old man from Moncton, N.B., has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from an investigation into images of child sexual abuse.
The investigation, led by the New Brunswick RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, began in February, 2020, following information received from the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre.
On March 16, 2021, police executed a search warrant at a home on Westbrook Circle, in Moncton. Police seized several electronic devices, and a 42-year-old man was arrested at the scene. He was later released on conditions.
On March 31, 2022, Philip Matthew Francis appeared in Moncton Provincial Court and was charged with possession of child pornography. He subsequently plead guilty to all charges.
On June 8, 2022, Philip Matthew Francis was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, followed by a 25-year prohibition order upon his release.
Philip Matthew Francis is on the National Sex Offender Registry for life, and will be required to submit a DNA sample. Following his release from prison, he will have to abide by conditions set out by the court, including not communicating with anyone under the age of 16, and to not attend any place that someone under the age of 16 is known to be for a period of 25 years.
The New Brunswick RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit includes members from the Saint John Police Force and the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force. The RCMP’s Digital Forensics Services Unit, the Codiac Regional RCMP and the RCMP National Child Exploitation Crime Centre assisted with the investigation.
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