Mounties say 186 charges have been laid in Canada so far

The RCMP say 47 Canadians have been arrested and 12 children have been removed from abusive situations as part of a global investigation into online child sexual exploitation.

Mounties say 186 charges have been laid in Canada so far

Mounties say 186 charges have been laid in Canada so far

UPDATE: 12:50 p.m One of the 47 Canadians arrested in a recent international child sexual exploitation investigation was living in East Vancouver.

The long-running global investigation into online child abuse images was led by New Zealand.

An international operation led by Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has identified more than 90,000 online accounts that have possessed or traded child sexual abuse material.

DIA digital child exploitation team manager Tim Houston said the volume of cases had been much higher than in previous operations, but he was not sure if it was just the tip of an iceberg.

A New Zealand-led global investigation into online child sexual abuse material identified more than 90,000 accounts, led to the arrest of hundreds of offenders worldwide and safeguarded 146 children, authorities said on Wednesday.