Four people from Waterloo Region arrested in child sexual assault investigation
Posted Nov 17, 2016 11:52:14 AM.
Last Updated Nov 17, 2016 01:52:17 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hamilton police say nine people have been arrested in a massive investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl, including the child’s mother and her boyfriend.
That includes a 38-year-old man, a 35-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman from Waterloo.
And another local connection, one of the other men arrested was a former teacher from Kitchener. 48-year-old Geoffrey Burnet was arrested back in September on separate charges of sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching.
Police say the investigation, named Project Links, was launched in early May after the force receiving a tip from the Catholic Children’s Aid Society in Hamilton.
They say officers interviewed the girl and she told them she was being sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend.
The man, who police have not identified, was arrested and is charged with 40 counts, that include sexual assault, sexual interference, making and possessing child pornography.
Police allege further investigation found the girl had been sexually assaulted by more than one person and led to the discovery of a child pornography ring that offered the girl’s services on Craigslist.
Two men from Hamilton, aged 36 and 50, along with the three men and woman from Waterloo were arrested.
They face charges related to sexual assault, sexual interference and making and possessing child pornography.
The seven-year-old girl’s mother, a 39-year-old woman from Hamilton, was also arrested and charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life to a child.
Police say their investigation led to the seizure of over 100 computers and electronics. They also say their investigation uncovered information that led to concerns about the safety of other children — including Hamilton girl’s older sister — and in other jurisdictions.
