A 36-year-old Niagara Falls man is in custody facing Criminal Code charges following an online child luring investigation that began with a confrontation at his front door.
Geoffrey David Canal was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 8, by detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, Niagara Regional Police said in a news release.
How the investigation began
The case started the evening before. At about 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, uniform officers from the NRPS 2 District, which covers Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, were called to a home in the Drummond Road and Morrison Street area of Niagara Falls for an indecent act.
Officers learned that a third-party group using online decoy tactics had identified a man they believed to be a child predator. According to police, the group confronted the individual at his residence before contacting officers and turning over their evidence.
ICE Unit detectives took over the investigation and, the following day, identified and arrested Canal, a Niagara Falls resident.
Bail hearing in St. Catharines
Canal remains in custody and was scheduled to appear by video link at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse at 59 Church Street in St. Catharines for a bail hearing on Thursday, Oct. 8.
Police warn of online exploitation
In the release, police warned that online platforms allowing users to interact with minors and to create, share and store child sexual abuse and exploitation material remain 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," the release states.
The NRPS is a member of the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet, working alongside Ontario police services and international partners. The strategy is funded through a grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
How to report
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the NRPS Internet Child Exploitation Unit at 905-688-4111.
Tips can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Niagara, online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest.
