Niagara Regional Police have arrested a man from Toronto for allegedly luring children for sexual purposes online.
The police service says their Internet Child Exploitation Unit began a proactive undercover investigation into a person who “used the Internet to connect and meet with children for a sexual purpose” in March, 2025.
Earlier this month, Niagara Regional Police along with Peel Regional Police initiated a joint investigation into the same suspect who continued the same online activities.
On Tuesday, Niagara police identified and arrested Joseph Michael Mortillaro, 50, of Toronto. he was charged with two counts of luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate sexual interference and one count of harassing communications.
He remains in custody and was scheduled to attend a bail hearing in St. Catharines on Wednesday.
Detectives believe that Mortillaro went by the usernames “DadOfTwo” and “Mike” on online platforms to commit offences against children.
“Online platforms that allow like-minded users to engage with minors, create, share and store Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) are prevalent on the internet. Offenders who attempt to lure children behind anonymous accounts on different platforms can be identified and will be held accountable for their actions,” said Niagara Regional Police in a release.
