Man from Hamilton faces 136 charges in live-streaming case of sexual assault on children in the Philippines

Toronto Police announced more than 100 additional charges against a 42-year-old man from Hamilton in a case related to paying for a live broadcast of sexual assault on children in the Philippines and directing assault acts remotely.

The police said Steven Tollis now faces a total of 136 charges, after a joint investigation between Canadian and international security agencies resulted in the rescue of four children who were at risk of exploitation in the Philippines.

The investigation began in April 2025, after a security operation led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa detected a person inside Canada suspected of sending money to a middleman in the Philippines to arrange sexual assaults on children and broadcast them live online.

The police allege that the suspect was not only watching the broadcast but was also paying money and giving instructions regarding the assaults he wanted to carry out and film.

Meanwhile, Philippine authorities launched a parallel investigation to identify the person suspected of facilitating access to children and arranging exploitation operations.

Cooperation with Dutch police and financial investigators helped trace the transfers and identify the person in Canada who was sending money to the Philippines.

In October 2025, the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation conducted an operation targeting the suspected middleman, resulting in the removal of four children from danger and securing their protection.

The police said the Philippine operation provided additional evidence and information that helped Canadian investigators expand the case against the suspect.

On March 25, 2026, the Toronto Police Online Child Exploitation Unit executed a search warrant in the area of Kenilworth Avenue North and Cannon Street East in Hamilton.

The police allege that investigators found during the search a quantity of materials documenting sexual assaults and exploitation of children, leading to Tollis's arrest and six initial charges against him.

After continuing to examine devices and digital evidence, investigators added 130 charges, bringing the total number of charges to 136.

The charges include accessing, possessing, producing, and making available child sexual abuse and exploitation materials, as well as arranging or agreeing to commit sexual assaults and exploitation of children under 18 years old.

The case also includes charges of obtaining sexual services from persons under 18 for money, arranging the production of child sexual abuse materials, and agreeing to commit sexual interference against a person believed to be under 16 years old.

The police confirmed that all charges remain allegations not proven in court, and the accused is legally presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Tollis is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto on July 31, 2026.

The police published several usernames that the suspect allegedly used on social media platforms, including «Tupac101», «Steve101», «Steve-o», «Jumpinjacks666», «Mighty», and «Mightymann66».

Investigators expressed concern about the possibility of other victims or individuals who communicated with the suspect using these accounts, urging anyone with information to contact the Child Exploitation Unit.

The investigation involved several agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Canadian Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre, the Dutch police, and the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation.

Toronto Police confirmed that child sexual exploitation crimes via live streaming cross national borders and require rapid cooperation between police agencies, financial institutions, and technology companies to track money, identify offenders, and reach children at risk.