Niagara police arrest man on child luring charges

NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE
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In August 2024, Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Detectives assigned to the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit began a proactive investigation to target people who use the Internet to communicate with children and meet them for a sexual purpose. 

Over a four month-long period, a suspect is alleged to have used the Internet to converse by text conversations with a person who he believed to be a 14-year-old female.  On Nov. 20 the suspect attended a pre-arranged location to meet a 14-year-old female for a sexual purpose. Detectives from the Internet Child Exploitation Unit, with the assistance of the Technological Crime Unit and Human Trafficking Unit arrested the suspect when he attended the pre-arranged meeting location.

Domenico Giuseppe Cianflone, 49, of Mississauga has been arrested and charged with the Criminal Code offences of:

• Luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate the offence of sexual interference
• Make written child pornography

Detectives have reason to believe that the accused was using online platforms with the username “HockeyCoach”, “joe” and “joed3300” to commit offences against other children on the Internet.  If you have information relating to this person, please contact the Niagara Regional Police Service at 905-688-4111 option 3, 1009398.

Cianflone was held in custody after his arrest and is set to appear for a bail hearing on Nov. 21 at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse, located at 59 Church Street, in the City of St. Catharines.

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 an anonymous account on different platforms can be identified and will be held accountable for their actions.

For more information on how parents and guardians can keep children safe online CLICK HERE

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 has been made possible by a grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest.

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