Canandaigua Man Arrested for Endangering the Welfare of a Child Following Incident with Teenager

Canandaigua, N.Y. — A Canandaigua man has been taken into custody after police say he directed inappropriate remarks toward a teenager and attempted to lure her onto his property.

The Canandaigua Police Department reported that O’Neil Lollis was arrested at 9:49 p.m. today on a charge of Endangering the Welfare of a Child following an incident involving a 15-year-old girl. According to police, Lollis made lewd, catcalling remarks toward the minor and attempted to persuade her to come onto his porch, conduct that created a potentially unsafe and harmful situation.

The matter was brought to the attention of police earlier, leading to a swift response and the arrest later that night.

“Protecting children is always a top priority,” the department said in a statement. “When behavior crosses the line and threatens the welfare of a child, we will take action to address it appropriately.”

Under New York law, Endangering the Welfare of a Child is a misdemeanor offense that applies when an adult acts in a way likely to be injurious to the physical, mental, or moral welfare of a person under 17. Although classified as a misdemeanor, the charge is treated as a serious criminal matter and can carry penalties including fines, probation, or incarceration.

No additional details about the victim have been released in order to protect her privacy. The Canandaigua Police Department emphasized that the charge remains an accusation, and that Lollis is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.