A 50-year-old man from Toronto who was arrested last month for allegedly luring children online for sexual purposes is facing new charges, according to police.
Authorities in Niagara and Peel regions began an undercover investigation into Joseph Michael Mortillaro, who is accused of using “the Internet to connect and meet with children for a sexual purpose” in March 2025.
He was identified and taken into police custody on Feb. 23 and charged with two counts of luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate sexual interference and one count of harassing communications.
Detectives conducted a forensic investigation into Mortillaro’s devices, which were seized through a search warrant. The findings have led authorities to lay further criminal charges.
On Monday, police announced three additional charges against Mortillaro, including possessing and making child sexual abuse material available.
Detectives believe that he 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.
With files from CityNews’ Dilshad Burman.