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Police in Durham Region have linked a series of threats that have rattled a Pickering elementary school in recent weeks to an online international group of “predators”.
The Durham Regional Police Service says it’s investigating a group known as “The Com,” short for “The Community,” after responding to four incidents at William Dunbar Elementary School since January believed to be linked to the group.
The latest incident, which took place on Jan. 27, put the school into a lockdown and subsequent hold and secure.
Durham Regional police Chief Peter Moreira said the group is known to coerce victims into harmful or unsafe activities, such as sharing inappropriate photos or engaging in self harm or harm against others.
“These groups use grooming, manipulation, intimidation, and coercion to exploit youth, which can lead to violent and/or criminal behaviour,” Moreira wrote in a joint letter to parents from DRPS and Durham District School Board (DDSB) on Tuesday. The letter, outlining some of the early findings of the investigation, was shared with CBC News by the DDSB on Friday.
The letter came a day after some parents staged a rally at William Dunbar Elementary to call for more communication on the incidents and for the school to reinforce its safety protocols, which the DDSB stated it intends to do in the coming weeks.
Targeting children as young as 8: police
According to Durham police Const. Nicholas Gluckstein, the group has not been linked to threats made at any other school in Durham Region.
Gluckstein described “The Com” as an emerging group of online coordinated predators that target children as young as eight years old, with no single “specific” goal.
Gluckstein said group has been known to launder money and carry out cryptocurrency thefts in the past, but added it’s difficult to “narrow down” the group’s focus due to its members largely remaining anoynmous.
“Sometimes when they use youth to complete these tasks, like 911 hoaxes, it’s a distraction to complete something else that was their intended target,” he added.
Gluckstein said the group is known to operate on various social media or online gaming platforms, like Discord and Minecraft, and can pretend to befriend children or feign romantic interest as a means to build trust.
While it’s unknown how many members make up the group, Gluckstein said its “growing prevalence” has also prompted warnings from the Federal Bureau of Investigation In the United States.
“It’s an extremely dangerous group, they are very tech-savvy,” Gluckstein added.
Watch for behavioural changes in children, parents warned
Gluckstein was unaware if other police services in Canada are also investigating the organization.
He added that parents can protect their children by being aware of their changes, such as looking out for withdrawal, secrecy, mood changes, or declining academic performance.
Police also encourage parents to monitor their children’s online activity and discuss the risks of sharing information, photos and videos online.
In a statement, DDSB spokesperson Galen Eagle said the school board intends to hold cybersecurity presentations with the DRPS at William Dunbar Public School next week.
Eagle added the board’s mental health supports are also being made available to students and their families.
Meanwhile, if parents suspect their children are being targeted by the group, police say to save all communication and contact investigators immediately.
