Windsor police have issued a stark warning to parents and guardians following a provincial investigation into the alarming trend of children sexually 'self-exploiting' on the internet. Authorities have directly contacted nine local families as part of a coordinated strategy to protect young victims, some of whom are as young as five years old.
Provincial Initiative Reveals Disturbing Trend
Between September 22 and 26, 2025, a major provincial internet child exploitation operation was conducted. Police from 14 agencies, including the Windsor Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), spoke with a total of 282 families across Ontario. The initiative focused on the growing phenomenon of self-exploitation, where children unknowingly create and share sexualized images of themselves online.
A spokeswoman with the OPP in Orillia confirmed that Windsor police were responsible for reaching out to the nine local families. However, Gary Francoeur, Windsor’s director of corporate communications, declined to comment further, stating that as a provincial project, all inquiries should be directed to the OPP.
What is 'Self-Exploitation' and Who is at Risk?
The term 'self-exploitation' refers to incidents where children, lacking a full understanding of online risks and consequences, post or share sexualized content of themselves. Police reported that the average age of the children involved was between five and nine years old, highlighting the vulnerability of very young internet users.
"Our most fundamental responsibility as a society is to protect our children from those who would do them harm," said OPP acting-Det. Staff Sgt. Tara Clark, the provincial strategy co-ordinator. She emphasized that while the internet offers benefits for learning and communication, it also leaves children exposed to unsafe situations.
A Call to Action for Parents and Guardians
Authorities are urging parents to be as vigilant in the digital world as they are in the physical one. "Just as you wouldn't leave your child alone in a city, don't let them navigate the online world alone," Clark advised, offering a powerful analogy for modern parenting.
The provincial internet child exploitation strategy is a collaborative effort that includes the OPP's child sexual exploitation unit, 25 municipal police services including Windsor's, and several government ministries. Its goal is to provide a coordinated response to the geographically dispersed nature of online victimization.
For more information on how to keep children safe online, the public is directed to visit the Canadian Centre for Child Protection at cybertip.ca. Anyone with information about child exploitation is urged to contact their local police, report online abuse to cybertip.ca, or call 911 if a child is in immediate danger.
