Police say Toronto man was grooming teen he met online for human trafficking
Posted February 13, 2025 11:31 am.
Last Updated February 14, 2025 3:24 pm.
Durham Regional Police have arrested a man for sexual offences against a teen girl he met on Snapchat.
Investigators say the probe began on Friday, Feb. 7, after it was learned a 14-year-old girl was being groomed for human trafficking.
Police say the girl was contacted, unsolicited, by a male on Snapchat who was posing as an 18-year-old. The suspect went by the username “Ace.”
Police say the girl told the male she was just 14, but the suspect continued to engage with her despite that knowledge.
The two met in person on several occasions, authorities noted.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, officers executed a search warrant at a residence on Brimley Road in Scarborough, where the suspect was arrested without incident.
Hammad Abowath, 21, of Toronto, is charged with sexual interference with a person under 16 years of age and invitation to sexual touching under 16 years of age.
He was held for a bail hearing.
