Toronto Police and Microsoft have unveiled a new computer system designed to track down internet distributors of child pornography.

The $4.5-million Child Exploitation Tracking System uses internet technology to analyze and compare pornographic pictures seized when an arrest is made.

It also compares email lists and network contacts found on seized computers.

Investigators can then use the information to expose links between porn distributors and purchasers.

		Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie
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The computer system was created after Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie ran into "a lot of frustration, technology-wise" in the battle against child pornography.

Outgunned by high-tech pornographers, Gillespie turned to Microsoft founder Bill Gates for help.

"The bad guys seemed to be winning," Gillespie recalled Wednesday. "They were trafficking these massive amounts of images so, just out of frustration, I emailed somebody who's an awful lot smarter than me."

Gates quickly responded by getting Microsoft Canada involved. The result is a network that is now available to police forces across the country.

"It really puts the police force on a level playing field with these cyber criminals, and allows the police forces to operate in a uniform matter that's necessary to effectively battle this crime," said Microsoft Canada president David Hemler.

Police in Toronto have been testing the computer system for several months now, and are offering it for free to any police force in the world.

Gillespie says five people have already been arrested with its assistance.