Media Release – January 8, 2026

Man arrested after thousands of child abuse images found

A Guelph man faces several charges after officers found thousands of child sexual abuse images after executing a search warrant late last year.

On November 26, officers with the Guelph Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit executed a search warrant after receiving a tip from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. Two phones and a laptop were seized.

Two of the devices were found to contain thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

On Wednesday a 69-year-old Guelph man was arrested for possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material, accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material and making child sexual abuse and exploitation material available. He will appear in court February 17.

This project has been made possible by a grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General. 

Man arrested in knife robbery

A Guelph man faces robbery and weapons charges after two employees of a north-end business were threatened with a knife while trying to stop a shoplifter last weekend.

Approximately 10:30 p.m. Saturday police were called to a business on Woodlawn Road West. A loss prevention employee had seen a man placing pharmacy items into a duffel bag and notified a colleague.

As the man attempted to leave without paying he was approached by both employees. The man removed a folding knife from his pocket and extended the blade. He thrust it several times towards the employees before fleeing on foot.

On Wednesday a 31-year-old Guelph man was arrested for robbery and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He was held for a bail hearing Thursday.

Senior defrauded of life savings, insurance

The Guelph Police Service is investigating after a local senior was defrauded of all her savings and life insurance.

On Wednesday the woman in her 70s contacted police to report a scam which began nearly a year ago. She explained in March she was using her computer when it began making strange noises and flashing. A message popped up to call a phone number, which she did.

The victim said she spoke to someone she believed was a representative of her bank, who said her accounts had been compromised and enlisted her help to supposedly catch the hackers.

Through a series of calls the woman was instructed to withdraw all funds from her account and deposit the cash into cryptocurrency ATMs. She was also instructed to cash in her life insurance policies and on three occasions met males near her residence and handed over gold bars she had purchased at the direction of the supposed bank official.

The victim was repeatedly told she would receive all the funds back once the bank had completed its investigation. After she didn’t hear anything for several months she contacted police. The victim believes she lost approximately $800,000.

Residents are encouraged to be wary of any telephone call, email or text which requires you to take immediate action. It is always best to independently contact the supposed sender and confirm the legitimacy of the correspondence before taking action. For example, if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank you should attend a branch and discuss it with a representative in person before taking other steps.

Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. Even if no financial loss has been sustained, interactions can still be reported to the CAFC.

Wire theft causes thousands in damage

The Guelph Police Service is investigating after the theft of copper wire which caused thousands of dollars in damage to railway equipment.

On Wednesday morning a railway official contacted police to report the damage, which occurred Tuesday afternoon when two signal cabinets located near York Road and Victoria Road South were stripped of their copper wire. The value of the stolen wire is minor, but the incident caused more than $5,000 in damage to the specialized equipment.

The cabinets were not connected to power at the time and rail operations were not affected. The investigation is ongoing.

Total calls for service in the last 24 hours - 251