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Therapist charged with assault involving Ontario children with autism

Muaz Sarfraz, 25. Provided / Halton Regional Police

Halton police say a therapist who works with children with autism is facing multiple assault-related charges in connection with two children.

Police said an investigation began into a 25-year-old Applied Behaviour Analysis therapist working at Spectacokids on Bronte Street South in Milton, Ont.

Investigators allege the offences occurred during “recent therapy sessions” involving two victims — both of whom are children with autism and were alone with the accused.

Muaz Sarfraz, 25, was arrested on Tuesday and is facing six counts of assault, one count of assault with a weapon and one count of assault causing bodily harm.

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Police said investigators believe there may be more victims and have released a photo of him.

Spectacokids said in a clarification email that it had “proactively” contacted the Children’s Aid Society who then contacted Halton Regional Police.

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“The moment this behaviour was observed, the session was immediately stopped, the individual’s services were terminated, and a report was made to the appropriate authorities without hesitation,” an Instagram post from Spectacokids reads.

Spectacokids said the matter was not triggered by an anonymous external complaint or third party report.

“The safety and well-being of the children and families we serve is our highest priority. Our supervision and oversight systems are in place for this exact reason, to ensure that any behaviour not aligned with our standards is identified and addressed promptly. We have been fully cooperating with law enforcement and all relevant regulatory bodies since the initial report. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety, accountability, and care.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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