A 45-year-old New Westminster man has been charged with allegedly being in possession of child pornography.
In the summer of 2023, the New Westminster Police Department received information from the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit of BC that sparked a local investigation.
In a news release, the NWPD said members of its Major Crime Unit arrested a suspect only July 11 after completing an investigation regarding alleged online images of child sexual abuse.
“The possession of this material provides a depraved incentive for those distributing and creating child sexual abuse material to continue their activities. It’s a cycle that causes far-reaching harm to children, their families, caregivers, and communities,” said NWPD Sgt. Andrew Leaver. “Additionally, these kinds of investigations are becoming more frequent and more resource intensive considering new factors like AI-generated images. Currently the New Westminster Police Department doesn’t have an investigator dedicated to child sexual exploitation investigations.”
According to the police department, charges were approved this month in connection to this investigation.
Christien Stringam, 45, has been charged with one count of possession of child pornography. The NWPD said he has since been released from custody with several strict court-ordered conditions, including the condition of not communicating or being alone with anyone under 18 years of age.
At its October meeting, the New Westminster police board received an update on the New Westminster Police Department’s 2025 provisional operating budget. The report noted the NWPD had initially submitted a request for one full-time office dedicated to child exploitation investigations, based on board feedback, but this position was deferred because of financial pressures related to the funding of other staffing positions.
In a statement to the Record, the New Westminster Police Department confirmed it has never had an officer dedicated to child exploitation investigations.
