Police won’t say if suspect is listed on sex offender registry
A Canadian man who is reportedly listed on a national child abuser registry and identifies as a “she/her” on social media is facing rape and other charges after allegedly breaking into a home and sexually assaulting a small child.
Authorities say 25-year-old Daniel Senecal was arrested Aug. 31 after paramedics responded to a medical assistance call “involving a child under the age of 5” in the city of Welland, located in southern Ontario, according to a news release.
Officers with the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) arrived at the home and found the front door had “signs of having been forced open,” according to a NRPS spokesperson. Investigators then identified the victim, who suffered from “serious injuries” and was transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition, police said.
According to police, the suspect broke into the home between 10 p.m. on Aug. 30 and about 9 a.m. on Aug. 31. He allegedly sexually assaulted the child while her parents were in the home.
“While inside the residence, unbeknownst to the parents, their child was sexually assaulted,” a NRPS spokesperson said.
Investigators say they reviewed video surveillance footage and identified Senecal, who was later arrested. A police spokesperson says Senecal was “known to the family for a short time” before the attack. Senecal faces charges including aggravated sexual assault on a person under 16, assault, assault by choking, breaking and entering and sexual interference with a person under 16.
A GoFundMe page created by Koreen Perry, who identified herself as a local business owner and friend of the victim’s family, shared more details on the alleged attack and said the victim was a 3-year-old girl.
“On Saturday, August 30th, 2025 while single mom, A W, of 2 girls (3 yrs & 5 yrs) slept comfortably in their beds, a child predator had his own plans to break into their apartment and sexually assault the 3 year old girl who we will refer to as ‘E’,” Perry wrote. “Unable to make a sound, he choked her making it impossible to scream. She laid there all night and didn’t move out of fear.”
According to Perry, Senecal was introduced to the family by a babysitter who knew he was on the Child Abuse Registry but believed he was trustworthy.
“[Daniel] was just released from jail in March 2025. He was given rules to stay away from children and not to be online. He completely disregarded his probation rules,” Perry wrote.
CP reached out to NRPS to confirm whether Senecal is listed in the child abuse registry. NRPS spokesperson Stephanie Sabourin provided the following comment: “Due to a publication ban on this matter, I’m limited in what I am authorized to share. I cannot comment on the accused’s [sic] past criminal history, and under the Sex Offender Registry Act I am not permitted to identify those who are considered registered sex offenders.”
According to the Canadian Department of Justice, a publication ban is a court order which “prevents anyone from publishing, broadcasting, or sending any information that could identify a victim, witness, or other person who participates in the criminal justice system,” and is “intended to allow victims, witnesses, and others to participate in the justice system without suffering negative consequences.”
Following Senecal’s arrest, reports surfaced of a Facebook profile with Senecal’s name in which the user identifies as “Dani” and has emojis of the LGBT rainbow flag and the transgender sign in the page’s profile section. The page lists Senecal’s pronouns as “she/her.”
In December 2023, Senecal was found guilty of sexual assault in a September 2021 incident and ordered to comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act as one of the conditions for release in March 2024, according to court documents cited by Canadian outlet Global News.
In response to the attack, Welland Mayor Frank Campion released a statement describing the “sexual assault of a toddler” as a “horrific act that is impossible to fathom.”
“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,” the mayor added.
