Toronto man accused of luring children online for sex
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A Toronto man faces child luring charges for allegedly using the internet to connect and meet with children for sexual purposes.
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Niagara Regional Police say officers from their Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit launched “a proactive undercover investigation” nearly a year ago – in March 2025 – into a person who was allegedly using online platforms to engage with minors.
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A joint investigation between Niagara’s ICE Unit officers and officers from the Peel Regional Police ICE Unit was initiated this month “into the same male suspect who continued to use the internet to meet with children for a sexual purpose,” Niagara cops alleged in a statement released Wednesday.
Detectives from Niagara’s ICE Unit identified a suspect and arrested him on Tuesday.
Joseph Michael Mortillaro, 50, is charged with two counts of luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate sexual interference and one count of harassing communications.
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Mortillaro was held in custody awaiting a bail hearing in St. Catharines that was expected to be held Wednesday.
“Detectives believe that Mortillaro went by the usernames ‘DadOfTwo’ and ‘Mike’ on online platforms to commit offences against children,” police said.
“Online platforms that allow like-minded users to engage with minors, create, share and store child sexual abuse material are prevalent on the internet,” police explained. “Offenders who attempt to lure children behind anonymous accounts on different platforms can be identified and will be held accountable for their actions.”
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For more information on how parents and guardians can keep children safe online, visit cybertip.ca.
The Niagara Regional Police Service is a member of the provincial strategy to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation on the internet and conducts investigations into internet child exploitation offences in partnership with Ontario police services and international partners.
This investigative initiative is made possible by a grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
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