Warning: graphic content

An investigator with the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit says the collection of child pornography seized in the case was the worst he’s ever seen.

“It caused me to have nightmares. It caused me to get help outside of policing,” Cpl. Jared Clarke said on the witness stand Monday.

He testified as the Crown’s single witness at a sentencing hearing for Philip Michael Chicoine at Saskatoon Provincial Court. He was visibly emotional as he addressed court.

“This is by far the most depraved collection I’ve seen,” Clarke said.

The 27-year-old Chicoine has pleaded guilty to 40 child pornography-related charges, including the directing and viewing of international livestreamed child pornography.

Court heard he paid $23,000 for images and videos and to facilitate and view the livestreams. The majority of his payment -- $19,000 -- was sent to the Philippines. He met women in Romania and the Philippines online. He then communicated with them on Skype and directed them on what to do and where to point the camera while they abused children on 38 different occasions. He would then take screenshots and save photos of the acts.

The children were between the ages of 10 months and 17 years old, according to Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli.

Chicoine attempted to make plans with one of the women to visit the Philippines and asked if he could stay with the family and abuse the children, Morelli said.

He also was communicating with a 14-year-old girl from the Philippines and trading money for photographs. The girl told Chicoine she had to pay for her school uniform and bus fare to get to school, according to Morelli.

The Crown is seeking a 17-year sentence, which would be the longest sentence for these types of crimes in Saskatchewan.

When investigators searched Chicoine’s parents’ home in March -- he was living in their basement at the time -- they found devices with almost 5,000 different child pornography files. They included videos and photographs of child pornography involving children, mostly girls, some as young as months old. Most of the girls were between four years old and 12 years old, and much of the content involved bondage of the children and violence against them.

Morelli also outlined conversations Chicoine had in attempts to meet with girls he believed were underage in Saskatoon. None of the meetings went through.

Chicoine was arrested in March after a single image of child pornography was uploaded on a Skype address linked to a computer in Saskatoon.

In April, Chicoine pleaded guilty to 14 counts of distributing child pornography, seven counts of luring and six counts conspiracy to commit sexual assault and make child pornography. He also pleaded guilty to five counts each of agreeing to commit a sexual offence against a child and making sexually explicit material available to a child, and one count each of possession of child pornography, making it and accessing it. The offences happened between 2011 and 2017.

The investigation in Romania is complete. The child victims there are safe and three women have been charged and convicted.

Clarke describes the investigation in the Philippines as an “uphill battle,” which is still ongoing.

Chicoine’s case was adjourned Monday until June 29.