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Man faces 81 charges in historic sexual assault investigation: Niagara police

Police in Niagara Region say a 42-year-old man is facing a murder charge in the death of a woman in a southern Ontario town earlier this year. The Niagara Regional Police Service detachment in 1 District located in St. Catharines, Ont., Friday, March 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Lynett

Police say a Niagara Falls, Ont., man is facing 81 charges for alleged crimes against 16 young victims, including sexual assault and child pornography.

Niagara regional police say the 53-year-old man, who was previously arrested last November, is now facing dozens of new charges.

Police say the alleged offences occurred between 1991 and 2024 and involved 14 male and two female victims between the ages of eight and 17.

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The charges include multiple counts of sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation of a young person, as well as 34 child pornography-related charges.

Police say the investigation spanned eight months and revealed “troubling” allegations against the accused, who used to work as a school bus driver in Niagara Falls.

Investigators believe there may be more victims who have not yet come forward.

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“The scale and nature of the allegations are deeply troubling and highlight the profound impact such offences have on our community — particularly on vulnerable young people,” Niagara police Chief Bill Fordy said in a news release Thursday.

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