Edmonton police have laid 18 new charges against 29-year-old Matthew McKnight in connection with a number of sexual assaults.
“This is very serious,” Staff Sgt. Devin Laforce with EPS Sexual Assault Section said. “We certainly have had different investigations that involve a large number of complainants.
“This is the first time, at least in recent memory to the Sexual Assault Section, of having that number of complainants that are all advancing to court.”
Detectives started investigating after someone reported a sexual assault to police on April 1, 2016.
McKnight was first charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm, two counts of sexual assault and unlawful confinement on Aug. 10, 2016.
READ MORE: Edmonton man charged in connection with 3 sexual assaults
Since then, police said a number of other people have contacted police which led to McKnight being charged with 18 more offences. The charges include:
- 12 counts of sexual assault;
- 2 counts of assault;
- 4 counts of unlawful confinement.
The EPS said the new charges involve 14 complainants and all stem from separate incidents which allegedly occurred between December 2013 and July 2016. Including the earlier charges, police said there are a total of 17 incidents.
“All of them … involve female complainants that are aged between 17 and 22 years,” Laforce said. “With those 17 occurrences, we believe that there’s still a number of complainants and witnesses that are out there and would like to encourage them to come forward to police.”
Brendan Crooks, a senior manager with Urban Sparq Hospitality – which owns several nightclubs and bars in Edmonton – confirmed to Global News in August that McKnight was a former employee of the company. Crooks said McKnight worked as an independent consultant.
“None of the assaults happened in the bars themselves,” Laforce said.
However, he said all the 17 complainants are linked to the hospitality industry.
“The complaints themselves all had some similarities. It is a pretty tight age range that was targeted. Matthew McKnight is 29 years old and again, part of that industry,” Laforce said. “He used that affiliation with that bar industry to target the complainants, we believe, from that industry.”
Urban Sparq Hospitality owns The Pint, Knoxville’s Tavern, The Rack, Denizen Hall, Canada Crawls, Arena Liquor and Argyle Grill and Bar.
EPS said Urban Sparq has been cooperative with its investigation.
“We take this matter extremely seriously and will fully cooperate with Edmonton police in any manner they ask us to,” Crooks said in a statement on Aug. 10.
The EPS Sexual Assault Section continues to investigate and asks anyone with information about the accused – including any more potential victims – to contact investigators at 780-423-4567.
Officers praised the initial person for coming forward.
McKnight made bail and is no longer in custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 7, 2016.
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