Undercover investigation leads to child luring charges in Ontario [Video]

One man faces charges in an Ontario child luring investigation.

Officers started an undercover investigation into the luring of minors using the internet in March, Niagara Regional Police said.

The joint police investigation included the Niagara Regional Police Internet Child Exploitation Unit and the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit.

Throughout the investigation, officers communicated with a man who believed he was chatting with young people under the age of 16, police said. Police said the man was communicating for a sexual purpose.

One person faces charges.

Johnathan Jeffrey Ahlstedt, 39, of West Lincoln is charged with two counts of luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate sexual interference, and two counts of luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate sexual assault, police said.

Ahlstedt is in custody pending a bail hearing on April 4.

Online platforms that allow like-minded users to engage with minors, create, share, and store child sexual abuse material are prevalent …