Victoria police leads successful extradition of William Tate to face child pornography charges

The Victoria Police Department has led the successful extradition of William Tate, who was wanted in connection with child pornography offences.

This case highlights VicPD’s continued efforts to protect children, pursue suspects across borders, and ensure individuals facing serious charges are held accountable. Officers escorted Tate back to Canada from the United States following his extradition.

The extradition stems from an investigation into Tate’s failure to report to the Vancouver Island Regional Correction Centre in late 2025 to begin serving a sentence of two years less a day for child pornography convictions. A warrant had been issued for escape from lawful custody.

VicPD investigators located Tate in the United States and worked closely with American agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the United States Marshals Service. He was found in the San Francisco area and returned to Canada, where he is now in the custody of B.C. Corrections.

VicPD expressed appreciation for the officers and partner agencies involved in coordinating the complex international investigation and extradition.

On December 4, 2017, VicPD launched an investigation after identifying an IP address linked to the unauthorized uploading, downloading, and sharing of child abuse material on a peer-to-peer network via the Child Protection System (CPS) website. Following further investigation, a search warrant was executed at Tate’s residence, resulting in the seizure of several electronic devices containing thousands of images and videos of child abuse material.