WATCH ABOVE: After a string of assaults, some sexual, and many taking place in the Terwillegar area, police have made an arrest. Eric Szeto reports.
EDMONTON – An Edmonton man has been arrested and charged in connection with a number of sexual assaults, most of which occurred in southwest Edmonton’s Terwillegar area.
Thirty-one-year-old Mark Moriarty was arrested Thursday and charged with 10 offences dating back to 2012. He has not been released on bail.
Between Jan. 2012 and Oct. 2014, police received several reports of assaults by a stranger, most of them taking place in the Terwillegar area. Investigators believed one suspect might be responsible for multiple incidents.
“Some similar fact evidence and some of the evidence that we have seized from all the scenes that have been involved,” explained Detective Andrew Larson with the EPS Sexual Assault Section.
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On Dec. 7, 2014, officers responded to a call about a break and enter and sex assault. A man was arrested and charged following that call.
Then, that man became a person of interest in the previous events in the Terwillegar area. Detectives later confirmed the man’s connection to the other cases.
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On Thursday, Moriarty was arrested. He’s been charged with choking and sexual assault in connection with a June 2012 file; assault and disguise with intent from a Jan. 2014 file; assault from a Jan. 2014 file; assault and disguise with intent from a May 2014 file; and sexual assault, robbery and disguise with intent from a June 2014 file.
Larson said there are five different victims in the five cases in which charges were laid.
Police believe Moriarty might be connected to other assault files. They ask anyone with information about the files or the suspect to contact them at (780) 423-4567.
“At this point, we have 17 that we are currently looking at,” said Larson. “Only five have charges that have been laid.”
Prior to these charges, Moriarty did not have a history with Edmonton police.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published Friday, February 27. It was updated on Monday, March 2.
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