Boy, 17, charged with child porn after allegedly luring child online

A Toronto Police cruiser is seen in this undated file image.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with child pornography after allegedly posing as a teenage girl online and convincing a young boy into sharing inappropriate photos of himself.

Between September 2014 and April 2015, police said the suspect allegedly posed as a 15-year-old girl online and communicated with the young child through social media apps such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, using screennames such as Amanda and PencilCrayons.

Once the boy had obtained the inappropriate pictures of the victim, he allegedly distributed the images on social media, including using one of the photos as his avatar.

The suspect, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was arrested on Monday, police said.

He is facing six charges, including luring a child under 18, extortion and possessing and distributing child pornography.

Police believe there may be other victims and are still investigating.

Anyone who has had communications with this boy or who has any information about the case is asked to contact police at 416-808-8500 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).