A retired York Regional Police officer has been sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty in a sexual assault investigation, which involved a young child.
Donald Clark, 67, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual interference earlier this week and was sentenced to two years in a federal penitentiary on Friday.
York police began their investigation on Nov. 3, 2015 after receiving a report that a young child had been sexually assaulted days earlier. Clark was arrested and charged within that week.
Police said more victims were identified in historical incidents following Clark’s arrest and that additional charges were laid as a result.
Clark served as an officer with York Regional Police between 1974 and 2006 and was employed part-time on a retiree contract as a fleet assistant from 2007 to November 2015. York police terminated Clark’s employment contract following his arrest.
“Our investigation and charges laid against Mr. Clark clearly demonstrate that there is no statute of limitations to sexual offences and that every person, regardless of their employment, shall be held accountable for their actions,” Chief Eric Jolliffe said in a press release on Friday.
“York Regional Police will not tolerate the victimization of members of our community.”
Police encourage victims to report incidents of sexual assault, noting it includes any non-consensual contact of sexual nature. There is no statute of limitations for sexual offences and offenders can be prosecuted well after the date of the offence.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7071 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).