Children in British Columbia could be better protected from online exploitation thanks to federal funding.

According to the government of British Columbia, Public Safety Canada is investing $3.5 million to help municipal police departments combat online child sexual exploitation by adding staff, training and equipment over the next three years, and by strengthening investigative capacity.

This comes as cases of online exploitation have increased during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The British Columbia RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit is responsible for more than 28,000 investigations initiated between 2020 and 2023.

Minister of Public Safety and Attorney General Mike Farnworth says children are increasingly using the internet and the risk of child sex offenders taking advantage of them is increasing.

“Child exploitation online happens every day and as social media platforms continue to grow, we must ensure our children are protected from those who would harm them,” Farnworth said.

The province says the funding will also help the operating unit by increasing its capacity and training the officers who conduct these investigations.

They hope this will lead to more investigations, more awareness, less stigma around reporting these types of incidents and help both provincial and federal governments prosecute offenders.

In September, the province will host a one-day forum with experts from the Exploitation Unit, BC Prosecution Service, and Community Safety and Victim Services to discuss ways to keep children safe online.