After 2 years of trying, police crack encrypted child porn cache

Saskatchewan police say that after 2years of trying, they've managed to crack an encrypted devicecontaining child pornography and have made an arrest.

They've laid five charges against Justin Gerard Gryba, 26, of Saskatoon, a commercial photographer who was previously charged in February 2012 for child pornography related offences and was sentenced to two years in jail.

During the initial 2012 investigation, it was learned that some of the computer devices seized from Gryba had been locked and encrypted and were password protected, police said.

Police said when Gryba wouldn't provide a password, they went to work trying to crack the encryption.

Forensic technicians from Saskatoon and Ottawa spent 2years on the case.

In July, they cracked one of the encrypted devices.

That led to Gryba's arrest on Wednesday by members of the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, which is made up of police from city departments as well as RCMP.

Gryba has been charged with two counts of making child pornography, one count of possession and two counts of voyeurism.

Police said thevictims and their familieshave been notified. According to Sgt. Ron Weir of the ICE unit, there were manyvictims.

"This is the biggest one we have had to deal with and the most involved," Weir said of the case Thursday.

Grybamade his first court appearance Thursdaymorning in Saskatoon Provincial Court. Police said he will remain in custody at least until his next court appearance, a bail hearing, set for next week.