A year-long probe by Niagara police into child pornography allegedly shared over social media has led to the arrest of a St. Catharines man.
Niagara Regional Police said detectives assigned to its Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit began the investigation in February 2024.
On Thursday, ICE investigators, as well as members of the Technological Crimes Unit, executed a search warrant at a residence in St. Catharines.
William Genaro Argueta, 34, was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, and making child pornography available.
The accused was held in custody after his arrest and was to appear for a bail hearing on Friday in St. Catharines.
Police said investigators also seized several digital devices they suspect were used to share child pornography on Instagram.
Detectives believe that the accused went online using variations of the username “random b0y” such as, “random.b0y” and “randomxb0y04”.
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“Offenders who attempt to lure children behind anonymous accounts on different platforms can be identified and will be held accountable for their actions,” police said in a news release.
Police are encouraging anyone who wishes to provide information anonymously to call Crime Stoppers of Niagara at 1-800-222-8477 or online at crimestoppersniagara.ca.