‘Shaken our city to its core’: Horrific child sexual assault highlights disturbing trend in Niagara Region

On the morning of Sunday, August 31, Niagara Police responded to a call for medical assistance alongside paramedics in Welland.

At the house, police found the door had been forced open. Inside, first responders began treating a three-year-old girl suffering from “serious” injuries.

The true horror of what happened was revealed after police spoke with the child’s mother. At some point overnight, a person had entered the house, and unbeknownst to her, sexually assaulted the child.

A canvas quickly turned up video footage from a neighbour leading to the arrest of 25-year-old Daniel Senecal. He has been charged with aggravated sexual assault on a person under 16 years; assault/choking; breaking and entering; and sexual interference with a person under 16 years of age. He remains in custody. The charges have not been proven in court. 

The assault has shocked the Welland community, with media reports noting Sencal was known to police and charged with a similar offence four years ago. 

According to court documents reported by CTV, Senecal had been charged with sexually assaulting a minor, sexual interference with a minor and choking, and sentenced to 18 months.

According to a statement by Niagara Police Chief Bill Fordy, Senecal was subject to a probation order at the time of the most recent alleged offences. 

The incident has left many residents in Welland and across Niagara Region feeling sick and angry, reinflaming concerns about perceived weaknesses in the Canadian judicial system that captured national attention during the federal election campaign earlier this year.

“Absolutely sickening in the worst possible way. Our justice system is so broken,” one Reddit user wrote on a forum discussing the crime.

“100% preventable. Canada’s judicial system is a joke,” wrote another.

Welland Mayor Frank Campion described the crime as “a horrific act that is impossible to fathom” and has “shaken our city to its core”. 

“As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine the pain this family is living through. The love and compassion we have for our children, and our concern for their well-being, is beyond words, and to think of a young child being harmed in this way shakes every parent to their core.”

In a statement issued on September 8, the day after residents gathered outside city hall for a candlelight vigil to support the toddler—who is still recovering in hospital—Campion called on Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Doug Ford to immediately work to strengthen bail and sentencing laws “so that those charged with violent sexual crimes face the full weight of consequences with no chance of early release in cases of extreme brutality”. He demanded the elimination of parole for these types of crimes—something the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled, for any type of crime, is unconstitutional.

”Like so many of you, I believe what happened is beyond comprehension, and nothing can ever make it right. Justice can never be swift or strong enough in the face of such a horrific crime. But I also know this: we cannot allow that anger to fade into silence. We must channel it into change,” Campion exhorted. 

Daniel Senecal being arrested by Niagara Regional Police officers.

(Koreen Perry)

Niagara South MP Fred Davies has responded with a petition, demanding the Liberal government make changes to the country’s bail system to “make bail and early releases more restrictive for repeat violent offenders of sexual offences and sexual offences against children”. 

In a video posted on X, Davies says these changes need to make it “nearly impossible” for repeat offenders of such sex crimes to be released.

Prime Minister Carney may be receptive to such a request. During the election campaign earlier this year he pledged to strengthen the bail system, particularly for heinous crimes like intimate partner violence and human trafficking. 

In a press conference last week Carney said he would be introducing legislation to strengthen the bail system when Parliament resumes later this month. 

Stronger bail conditions and stricter sentences for particular crimes might partially satisfy those looking for a swift show of response to such a heinous act.

But these changes alone will not solve what is becoming a disturbing trend in Niagara Region, which is grappling with startling increases in many different types of sex crimes, including those involving children. 

According to police-reported data from Statistics Canada, the Niagara Police have recorded increases between 2014 and 2024 in: sexual assault level 1 (up 198%); sexual violations against children (up 548%); sexual interference (up 1,467%); luring via a computer (up 178%); and distributing intimate images (up 172% since 2015). This is in addition to increases recorded in 2024 that saw 700 percent more human trafficking victims identified and 190 percent more traffickers arrested, according to data shared by Chief Fordy during a police services board meeting earlier this year.

Throughout the month of August, the spread of these crimes was clear to Niagara Police which made a series of high profile arrests. 

On August 26, Niagara Police announced the arrest of Justin Murray Wayne Lee, 49, of Welland, and Thalia Rachelle Hiscoe, 49, of Wallaceburg following a nearly four-month long investigation into alleged historical sexual exploitation of children. 

Police uncovered evidence of multiple victims with offences dating back to 2007. 

On August 21, 54-year-old Robert Caverly of St. Catharines was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a person under the age of 16; sexual interference with a person under 16, and uttering threats, among other charges.  

The same day, Niagara Police arrested 59-year-old Ivo Ivanov of Fort Erie, charging him with nine counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation following reports of alleged assaults during scheduled massage therapy appointments at a wellness centre in Fort Erie. 

Also on that day police arrested 66-year-old Erwin Huisbrink of Niagara Falls for the alleged possession of child pornography. 

Two days before that, Lincoln resident Steven Albert Venditello, 49, was arrested after allegedly communicating online with a 14-year-old for a sexual purpose. 

On August 18, Nathan Jolin, a 28-year-old Welland man was arrested after he allegedly assaulted a woman and exposed himself on the Steve Bauer Trail. Detectives believe there could be additional victims. 

On August 13, following a tip from a third party group “using online decoy tactics” that identified what they believed to be a child predator, Niagara Police arrested Darren R. Fox of St. Catharines, charging him with luring a child to facilitate sexual interference; making sexually explicit material available to a child; and making child pornography (written and audio recording). 

The first week of August saw the culmination of an eight-month investigation into an array of alleged historic sexual assaults, culminating in 81 criminal charges being laid against 53-year-old Todd Douglas Williston of Niagara Fall, a former school bus driver. The charges relate to alleged offences between 1991 and 2024, involving 16 victims (14 males and 2 females) ranging in age from 8 to 17. 

The charges include: four counts of sexual assault against someone under 14 years of age;  seven counts of sexual interference; eight counts of invitation to sexual touching; four counts of sexual exploitation of a young person; 11 counts of making child pornography; 14 counts of unlawfully possessing child pornography; and 10 counts of voyeurism, among others. 

Due to his close proximity to children, investigators believe there could be more victims. 

None of the charges in any of the above cases have been tested in court. 

“The scale and nature of the allegations are deeply troubling and highlight the profound impact such offences have on our community—particularly on vulnerable young people,” Chief Fordy said. “This kind of predatory behaviour will not be tolerated in our community.”

Niagara Police Chief Bill Fordy has warned Niagara Region councillors that any restrictions on the police budget could have impacts on its frontline service. Critics argue that bloated police budgets, often approved with little scrutiny to ensure effective spending, should focus on areas of need such as complex work to disrupt criminals and networks who prey on children and women, instead of throwing money to hire more frontline officers.

(Niagara Regional Police Services Board)

The increasing number of these “reported” crimes can be attributed to both stronger investigative capacity within the Niagara Police department; and growing awareness among the general public.

With more news of these disturbing crimes, officials and the public are clamouring for answers, and enhanced methods to capture and hold offenders accountable. 

“The Niagara Regional Police Service is acutely aware of the increases in reported sexual offences, including those committed against children. These crimes are deeply concerning and addressing them is a top priority,” Stephanie Sabourin, the NRPS manager of corporate communications told The Pointer. “Our investigators are specifically trained to investigate these sensitive and often complex offences. Recognizing the rapidly evolving nature of online crimes, our detectives continue to adapt investigative techniques, enhance officer training, and engage in proactive awareness campaigns.”

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) released a statement on September 6, responding to not only the horrific Welland assault, but a home invasion in Vaughan that left a father of four dead. Acknowledging the outrage, police leadership across the province made it clear a holistic approach that addresses all levels of the justice system is required to fully address the problem. 

“These recent criminal acts make it absolutely clear that there are deeper systemic issues involved that are eroding trust and confidence in the system,” the statement notes. “The OACP has consistently called for justice reform that strengthens Canadian laws with real authority and accountability and enhances resources across the justice system—policing, courts, and corrections—to reduce threats to public safety. Our communities expect it, our members expect it, and we expect that community safety should be a priority in all corners of this country.”

The OACP reiterated its call for bail reform, a system it describes as off-balance when it comes to weighing release conditions with community safety. The organization is also calling for minimum sentencing for certain crimes.

The Niagara Police is currently not commenting on whether the organization will request additional resources from Niagara Region in its 2026 budget process to address the increases in these disturbing crimes. But Chief Fordy has already made it clear that the increasing pressure being placed on his police force will require additional resources.

Police forces and taxpayers across Ontario are struggling with a harsh reality: recent budget escalations for policing are not sustainable; while the nature of the job is becoming more and more complex. 

Niagara’s force recognizes the need to be more effective with the way resources are used, perhaps looking at new models instead of spending large chunks of the publicly funded budget on costs that do not yield results. For example, looking at the size of police units responsible for these heinous crimes, like the Niagara Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, gives a clear indication that resources could be better allocated to addressing these crimes that are increasing in number and complexity. The ICE unit currently only has six officers on staff: one Staff Sergeant, one Detective Sergeant and four Detective Constables responsible for all of Niagara Region. 

“At this time, we cannot comment on specific budget considerations for 2026,” Sabourin told The Pointer. “However, we remain committed to allocating the resources that we do have effectively, while pursuing every available avenue to ensure these cases are investigated thoroughly and that victims and survivors receive the support that they require.”

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