FREDERICTON — Police in northwestern New Brunswick have arrested a 40-year-old man after seizing more than 5,000 sexually suggestive images of girls as young as three years old.

Members of the RCMP Internet Child Exploitation Unit and the local police force in Edmundston said they also confiscated computer equipment and disks.

Police said they believe it's the largest seizure of its kind in the province.

"For those who have children, it's not nice to see. . . . It's disgusting," Const. Mike Michaud of the Edmundston Police Force said Friday at a news conference in Fredericton.

RCMP Cpl. Jackie Basque said police found at least 5,000 images involving children between three and 17 years old.

She said so far investigators have seen only girls in the pictures, and don't know whether any are from New Brunswick.

"We're at the preliminary stage of our investigation, so until we are fully complete we won't know the full amount of what we have," said Basque.

The investigation began in August after a member of the Toronto Police Sex Crimes Unit was able to access pictures through an Internet chat room and a server.

"With that, he was able to locate the location of the computer, which was in the Edmundston area, and in turn called our unit here to do the investigation," said Basque.

It then took police in New Brunswick three months before they were able to search the home and make an arrest Thursday.

"We have the main computer which included two hard drives, printers, a bunch of CDs and DVDs, and we also found some counterfeit movies," said RCMP Sgt. Pierre Bourguignon.

So far no charges have been laid, and the man police arrested is not in custody.

"Our department is well aware of this individual's identity, where he lives, and to our knowledge at this time there is nobody who has come forward with any alleged incidents involving children in the area," said Michaud.

"This individual is a reclusive person who stays in his home, goes to work and lives with his computer. He is a computer person and this is how he gets his thrills."

Michaud said officers would keep an eye on the man's behaviour.

Police said their investigation could take another three months, but may be prepared to lay charges in a matter of weeks.

Police across the country have stepped up their efforts to crack down on child pornography.

But earlier this week, officers in Toronto said technology and the use of the Internet has made it easier to share child pornography around the world.

The warning came after an undercover police officer witnessed live video of a man allegedly abusing a young girl. A 34-year-old Ontario man has been charged.