Toronto police have charged a man at the centre of the Maple Leafs Gardens sexual abuse scandal with 19 new offences in relation to the alleged sexual assaults of three boys.
Police said the incidents occurred between 1978 and 1984. Gordon Stuckless, 67, of Toronto was arrested on Wednesday.
He has been charged with four counts of buggery, four counts of indecent assault of a man, six counts of gross indecency, three counts of sexual assault and two counts of threatening death.
READ MORE: Gordon Stuckless: Crown to appeal prison sentence in Maple Leaf Gardens sex abuse case
Toronto police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray told Global News the three victims came forward to police within the last year.
“They’ve all made allegations of sexual assault that occurred during Gordon Stuckless’ time at Maple Leaf Gardens,” she said.
Ari Goldkind, Stuckless’ lawyer, said his client was arrested at around 3 p.m. and the additional charges aren’t “a huge surprise.”
READ MORE: Gordon Stuckless victims tell of lifelong suffering due to abuse
“It was alluded to at his last sentencing,” Goldkind said, adding he will be reviewing the allegations Thursday.
“As Mr. Stuckless’ lawyer, I will obviously be curious about when these allegations first came to light or when police first knew about them.”
Goldkind said Stuckless “handled his matters (in his last case) very, very responsibly.”
READ MORE: Gordon Stuckless doesn’t meet dangerous offender status: psychiatric assessment
“There was a concern about not putting victim through a process for things that Mr. Stuckless could admit that he did,” he said.
Stuckless pleaded guilty to more than 100 charges for the crimes he committed against young boys decades ago.
He previously pleaded guilty in 1997 for sex assaults on 24 boys while he worked as an equipment manager at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens between 1969 and 1988.
READ MORE: Judge rules that no sex-abuse conspiracy existed at Maple Leaf gardens
Stuckless apologized in court earlier this year, saying he betrayed his young victims’ trust and he alone should bear that shame.
Gray added that Stuckless remains incarcerated serving time for his previous offences.
He is scheduled to appear in a Toronto court on the latest charges Thursday morning.
READ MORE: Gordon Stuckless pleads guilty to 100 charges
Anyone with information is being asked to call police at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
With files from Christina Stevens and The Canadian Press