Reports of child pornography have skyrocketed in Manitoba since April 2009, when a new law came into effect with heavy fines or jail time for those who turn a blind eye.

The province became the first in Canada to enact legislation making it mandatory to report child pornography for someone who encounters it.

In the year before the law came into effect, there were 196 reports to authorities through Cybertip.ca, Canada's national tipline. In the year after, there were 442 reports, an increase of 126 per cent, according to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, which held a news conference Tuesday to announce the results.

'It is a signal to the porn pushers and the possessors — those pukes — that you're going to be watched.'—Minister of Family Services Gord Mackintosh

The law in Manitoba requires anyone who suspects child pornography, including online content, books, photographs and other audio and visual material, to promptly report the information. Failing to do so is a crime punishable by up to two years in jail or $50,000 in fines.

Of the 442 reports made to Cybertip online, by email or by phone:

• 75 per cent were submitted anonymously.
• 88 per cent pertained to websites.
• 44 per cent were forwarded to law enforcement.
• Of the reports forwarded to law enforcement, 90 per cent were forwarded to law enforcement outside Manitoba.

There were 17 reports that contained information about a child victim or suspect in Manitoba, according to the Winnipeg-based child-protection charity.

The Teatree Tells: A Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Kit is being distributed free of charge to 700 Manitoba child-care centres. (CBC)

Family Services Minister Gord Mackintosh said the legislation lets people take action and serves as a warning.

"It is a signal to the porn pushers and the possessors — those pukes — that you're going to be watched," he said. "A report to Cybertip.ca can save a child or ensnare a predator not only in Manitoba but anywhere in the world. As a result, Manitobans have helped to protect more children, arrest more predators and shut down more websites."

At the news conference, the child protection centre also announced it has created a program called Teatree Tells, to help early-childhood educators and parents prevent child sexual abuse.

The Teatree Tells: A Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Kit, is being sent free of charge to 700 child-care centres across Manitoba. The kit includes information to help those working with children four to six years of age, as well as help for parents to understand the risks and recognize the signs of child sexual abuse.

The full report can be viewed on the website of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

With files from the CBC's Meaghan Ketcheson