Two SickKids Employees Charged in Child Exploitation Cases Within One Month
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
A housekeeping staff member and a physician face separate charges involving child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) has seen two employees face criminal charges within a single month, according to reporting from CityNews Toronto.
On July 29, Toronto police arrested Antonio Alvin Dela Cruz, 55, following an investigation by the Internet Child Exploitation Unit that began in October 2024. Dela Cruz, who worked on the housekeeping team, is accused of luring a 15-year-old victim via social media and phone chat applications. Police allege he sent explicit images and made inappropriate comments. During a warrant execution near Highway 401 and Don Mills Road, authorities seized written documentation and electronic devices. Dela Cruz faces charges including luring a person under 18 via telecommunication, possessing and accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and exposing genitals to a person under 16.
SickKids stated that Dela Cruz was placed on leave upon notification of the charges and has since resigned. This follows the July 21 arrest of Dr. Dilan Dissanayake, who was charged with accessing and possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, as reported by CityNews Toronto.
In a press release, SickKids described the news as "deeply disturbing" and noted that, to their knowledge, the two employees did not work with or know one another. The hospital further stated that Toronto police found no evidence linking the criminal charges to the employees' professional duties at the facility. These allegations have not yet been proven in a court of law.