Calgary police have charged a man with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a disabled person.
Earlier this month, police began investigating a complaint from a man who said he had been sexually assaulted by the person employed as his supportive roommate. The complainant said he had been inappropriately touched in a sexual manner on multiple occasions last summer.
“The victim in this case has an intellectual disability which plays into the charge that we’ve laid,” said Staff Sgt. Michelle Doyle with the Calgary Police Service Sexual Assault Investigative Unit.
Police charged Robert Wilton, 50, on Monday. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
Doyle said Wilton was self-employed during the time he lived with the victim in the southwest community of Haysboro.
“We obviously are very concerned when a person is in a position of authority and abuses that authority. We want to ensure that our vulnerable population is supported and protected,” she said.
Doyle said Wilton has no prior history with police. At this time, there is no information about other potential victims.
Police say they take these reports very seriously and acknowledge people with disabilities are more vulnerable to this type of crime.
Doyle said anyone looking to hire a support worker for a family member should do a criminal record check, but they should also stay connected.
“I think the best thing families can do is to just keep open lines of communication with their loved one and talk about those situations that might not be appropriate as it related to the expectations of a support worker,” said Doyle.
Disability advocates say one of the ways to keep everyone safe is being included and having relationships.
“If you are isolated, you are far more likely to be a victim of violence, abuse, neglect. The more people you know, the more people that care about you, the more people that are keeping an eye,” said Trish Bowman, CEO of Inclusion Alberta.
Bowman said it is crucial to ensure people with developmental and intellectual disabilities are fully included in our communities to make them less vulnerable.
“If there are multiple people in our lives that we’re seeing on a daily basis, that protects us and it also lets other people know that there are multiple people in their lives that are paying attention and makes them a little more cautious about taking advantage of people,” said Bowman.
The province said community and social services regularly monitors and audits disability providers to ensure they are performing the duties outlined in their contract.
According to the province, a variety of organizations in Alberta are contracted to provide services and supports to help individuals live as independently as possible, including supportive roommates, who may be employees or sub-contractors of a disability service provider.
“Service providers are also obligated to adhere to abuse prevention and reporting protocol and Protection of People in Care requirements,” said Robyn Cochrane, communications director, community and social services.
The province said PDD (persons with developmental disabilities) contracts require employees, subcontractors, agents and volunteers who provide direct services to clients complete a criminal record check, including a vulnerable sector check, initially upon employment and every three years after the initial check.