Undercover operation leads to sexual exploitation charge against York man

In the corner of an East Gwillimbury cul-de-sac lived a convicted sex offender who police now allege has been back to his old tricks.

Frank Cunningham, 33, was arrested by York Regional Police after allegedly trying to meet up with a single mother, intent on sexually assaulting her two children.

Little did Cunningham know, police say, the single mother was an undercover police officer. Cunningham was arrested during a sting April 8. He was scheduled for a bail hearing in a Newmarket courtroom on April 17.

Court records show Cunningham was convicted of assault and sexual assault in 2004. He was sentenced to four months in jail, put on probation for two years, handed a weapons restriction and placed under an order to stay away from children, including that he not use computers to communicate with kids.

The following year, in 2005, Cunningham was convicted of luring a child and two counts of failing to comply with probation. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, three years' probation, and was placed on the sex offender registry for 99 years.

Cunningham's latest run-in with police began in 2013 when officers working out of the York Regional Police Internet Child Exploitation Section were tipped off about some unusual online ads.

According to a police source, one seemingly innocuous personal ad stated that a 33-year-old man was seeking a single mother in the Newmarket area.

"I still think starting slow on more of a friendship base is good. That way there is no pressure and you can be yourself. And that way if there is no spark, so to speak, then maybe a good friendship is still made," the Craigslist ad, posted March 20, 2014, states.

It later adds: "...please do put the age of your kid/kids for subject or at least something that will make me not think your (sic) a bot or chances are i will delete..."

Investigators allege they found several other online ads, some of which were sexually explicit in nature.

"The ads that this person posted online date back to 2012," Sgt. Clint Whitney said in an interview Wednesday. "The vast amount of online activities that he's had, the relatively benign appearance of some of his ads would certainly encourage people to contact him."

Police allege Cunningham used the following email addresses:

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"Anyone who's had contact with Frank Cunningham should give us a call and let us know the nature of that contact and give us the information we're looking for," Whitney said. "We're very concerned there may be living victims outside of the online undercover investigation that took place."

Police believe Cunningham may have been looking to develop relationships with single parents who would willingly allow him to sexually assault their children, but at this point, they have found no evidence that children have been sexually assaulted.

They did, however, allegedly find child pornography while searching his Morgans Road home in East Gwillimbury, located about an hour’s north of Toronto, and seized several computers that are now being searched by investigators.

Cunningham was charged with arranging to commit a sexual assault, arranging to commit sexual exploitation, possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, and two counts of making sexually explicit material available to a person under 16.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact police at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7078. Anonymous tips can be left through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477, visiting 1800222tips.com, or texting YORK and your tip to CRIMES (274637).

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  York Regional Police have released this photo of Frank Cunningham, saying they believe there may be witnesses and victims who haven't come forward. (Police Handout)