Pre-trial proceedings underway for man accused of Vancouver cold case sex assaults

Lawyers for a man accused of four sexual assaults in Vancouver more than a decade ago were in court Tuesday, as preparations for a trial move forward.

Aturo Gorjon is facing multiple charges of sexual assault over the attacks, alleged to have taken place in 2009 and 2010.

This summer, he was released on $15,000 bail, despite recommendations from both police and Crown prosecutors that he be kept behind bars.

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Gorjon was not in court Tuesday, and his case was put over to Oct. 24.

Neighbours at his Burnaby address listed on court documents told Global News they haven’t seen the 45-year-old.

He remains free on multiple conditions, including regularly reporting to a bail supervisor, not changing his address or phone number without permission, not applying for travel documents and not having contact with his alleged victims.

Police arrested Gorjon in July, after linking a fourth attack to three 2009 sexual assault cold cases.

The first attack happened on Canada Day 2009, when a 20-year-old woman was sexually assaulted while she was walking near Granville Island.

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The second attack happened on Nov. 15, 2009, when a 25-year-old woman was sexually assaulted as she tried to enter a West End apartment building, while the third happened in Yaletown months later.

Vancouver police launched Project Scrimmage in 2011 as they pursued the attacks, which collected detailed information regarding a suspect believed to be behind all three assaults.

But it would be another 12 years before a break in the case allowed them to link a fourth cold-case attack in downtown Vancouver on Christmas Eve 2010.

Police said evidence in the case allowed them to connect all four incidents and led them to the 45-year-old suspect who was in Regina, where he was arrested.