The city is still asleep, but at the Gatineau police headquarters, a team is preparing.The ten agents are not at its first search.Lieutenant-Dettective Joanne Ayotte nevertheless reviews the role of each since the intervention plan was modified the day before.Among them, two investigators from the Jevénile Pornography section of the SPVG major crimes division, Jean-Michel Lapointe and Sandrine Poulin.

After more than a month of investigation, they are preparing to arrest a man suspected of distribution of juvenile pornography.

After receiving their instructions, the team members go closer to the place where the intervention will take place.Behind the discussions between colleagues, we can guess a certain nervousness.

Stress is particularly large for the two people in charge of the file. On pense à tout ce qu’on a à faire, on pense à l’interrogatoire qu’on a préparé, on pense à toutes les questions pour lesquelles on veut avoir des réponses, souligne le sergent-détective Jean-Michel Lapointe.Her partner, the sergeant-detective Sandrine Poulin approves. Est-ce qu’on va trouver de la preuve qui va nous permettre de l’arrêter, d’aller jusqu’au bout?

When everything is in place, the team resumes the road towards the suspect's accommodation.Silently, the autopatrouilles are stored in the parking of the property and the police are going out.The scene is calm.It’s far from being like action movies.

The agents take a stand and the tension rises from a notch.Everyone has a specific role in the intervention.Two of them will arrest the suspect, the others will watch out for the exits or recover the proof.Each window and each outing is monitored to ensure that the suspect does not flee, but also so that he cannot stop elements of evidence.At this morning hour, only a cat not observes the police deployment.

The siren of an autopatrouille sounds then the detective sergeant Jean-Michel Lapointe hides at the door of the suspect by presenting himself loud and clear.A man comes to answer, it is he who is targeted by the arrest mandate.The team enters the accommodation and checks if there are other occupants, children who must be taken care of or even domestic animals before arising the suspect and securing proof.

Agents never know how people present will react to the arrival of police officers.It happens that the suspect panic and shouts, that he is aggressive, that he tries to hide or destroy elements of evidence and even that he tries to convince the police that they are wrong.But the detective sergeant Sandrine Poulin stresses that very often he cooperates quickly, especially when other members of his family are present.This time, no child was present at the scene.

She says that since the start of the pandemic, some people claimed to be contaminated and cough during their arrest. On les a toutes entendues les raisons pour ne pas venir au poste de police.[...] COVID, not covid, there is arrest.This morning, the suspect does not oppose resistance and he listens in silence the police officers to read his rights him.

Half an hour after the start of the intervention, the suspect goes up on the cell van towards the police station, where he can communicate with a lawyer.Lapointe and Poulin detective sergeants also go there to question it.It is a long process that evolves as new information from the location of the search is communicated to the interrogators.

Sergeant-detective Jean-Michel Lapointe tells how the suspect's interrogation takes place.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Guillaume Lafrenière

Meanwhile, Lieutenant-Dettective Joanne Ayotte ensures that the search takes place without problem.His team thoroughly searches the suspect's accommodation to find all the electronic media.From the smallest USB key to video game consoles, including tablets and smart watches, anything that can connect to the Internet or contain data can contain proof.

In the command post, the detective sergeant and judicial IT analyst Eric Caron examines each of the devices in detail thanks to his specialized software.He is an imperturbable man who makes his job with rigor.

This is a first verification in order to see if images of juvenile pornography were stored there.If necessary, electronic support becomes a conviction and is provided to the police station.

Images of all kinds, ranging from Christmas photos to music album covers, parade in front of the computer specialist. Puis, une heure et demie après le début de la perquisition, le sergent-détective Caron fige une fraction de seconde devant son écran avant de laisser tomber : J’en ai trouvé.