Fort Erie man facing child pornography charges following FBI investigation

A Fort Erie man is facing a number of child pornography charges following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Niagara police say the FBI began looking into the online exploitation of a child in October. The agents identified a Fort Erie resident as a suspect in the investigation.

Members of the Niagara Regional Police Service’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit and the Technological Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at a home in Fort Erie on Tuesday.

Officers arrested 51-year-old Thomas Connelly. He is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of make arrangement for sexual offence against a child, and one count each of accessing child pornography, making written child pornography, and distribute child pornography.

Connelly is currently being held in custody pending a bail hearing at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse in on Wednesday.