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Evidence uncovered in a local child pornography investigation could lead to charges against dozens of people in 20 countries and while it may involve millions of images, Ontario police said yesterday that’s just a drop in the bucket.

The investigation began in November with a tip from police in Edmonton that led to the arrest of a 29-year-old man in Brampton on child-pornography and sexual-assault charges, police said.

That probe went global, culminating in police gathering evidence against 73 people in 20 countries.

This kind of offence knows no boundaries in the Internet age, police said.

“While the Internet has evolved and shown its potential to assist society … we need to remember that there are people out there whose use of the Internet will destroy the lives of our children and their families,” said Peel Region Staff Supt. John Nielsen.

Each of the suspects is believed to be in possession of hundreds, if not thousands or even millions of files containing millions of images of victims from around the world, said Insp. Bob Strain.

“The victimization of a child has a lifetime effect on their lives, their loved ones and the community at large,” he said.

Despite the sweeping nature of this large-scale investigation, it represents just a small dent in the worldwide network of people trading in child pornography, said provincial police Det. Staff Sgt. Frank Goldschmidt.

“There are so many offenders out there,” he said. “The Internet has provided that perfect tool for these people to find one another, to justify to one another that what they’re doing is OK.”

Offenders are using increasingly sophisticated technology, police say, and that complexity increases the work for police forces to keep up.

“The volume of the images and the caseloads are absolutely enormous,” Goldschmidt said.