Police charge Hamilton man with sexual assault, filming of child
Niagara police say a Hamilton man is facing multiple charges after a child, who was shopping with her mother, was allegedly followed, sexually assaulted, and then photographed or filmed.
Niagara police say a Hamilton man is facing multiple charges after a child, who was shopping with her mother, was allegedly followed, sexually assaulted, and then photographed or filmed inside a Port Colborne retail store.
In a Tuesday morning media release, Niagara Regional Police Service said officers were called to a store in the city’s east end Monday evening, around 7:10 p.m., after a young girl reported being touched and filmed by a man while shopping with her mother.
Investigators said the child and her mother entered the store together and were unaware that a man had been following them through the aisles.
At one point, police allege the child was briefly separated from her mother. During that time, the suspect allegedly approached her, touched her inappropriately, and recorded an image or video.
Police said the girl immediately returned to her mother and disclosed what had happened. The pair tried to locate the man inside the store, but said he avoided them. Store staff then reviewed surveillance video and assisted officers.
Detectives with Niagara’s specialized sexual assault unit took over the investigation and by 10:20 p.m. had located, identified, and arrested a suspect.
Police say 29-year-old Nicholas Consoli of Hamilton has been charged with sexual assault, voyeurism, and making child pornography.
He remained in custody and was scheduled to appear at a bail hearing on Tuesday via video link at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines, Ont.
Ontario's public databases for criminal court proceedings do not yet indicate what the result was, if any, related to that scheduled appearance.