Advertisement

B.C. man guilty of sex assault after befriending victims at Metro Vancouver churches

Charges have now been laid against 75-year-old Raymond Howard Gaglardi.
New sex assault charges were laid against 75-year-old Raymond Howard Gaglardi in September 2020. Handout/Coquitlam RCMP

A British Columbia man who is now in his late 70s has been found guilty of numerous counts of sexual assault.

Coquitlam resident Raymond Gaglardi appeared in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on Monday, and court records show he was convicted on 11 counts.

The charges related to historical sexual assaults of young men or teenage boys who attended several Coquitlam-area churches between 1993 and 2007.

RCMP said in 2020 that the offences happened at Gaglardi’s home, where he offered therapy sessions to the victims after meeting their parents at the Metro Vancouver churches.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

An investigation began in 2019, and the first charges were laid the following year, when Gaglardi was 75 years old.

Story continues below advertisement
Click to play video: 'Jury finds Richmond RCMP officer Andrew Seangio guilty of sex crimes'
Jury finds Richmond RCMP officer Andrew Seangio guilty of sex crimes

Gaglardi has been associated with multiple churches in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, including Hillside Community Church, Austin Avenue Chapel, and Evergreen Evangelical. He also went by the name Dr. Ray Gaglardi, and provided therapy sessions to youth whose parents he met at church.

He is scheduled to return to court for a pre-sentence report on Dec. 8.

– With files from Simon Little 

 

 

Sponsored content

AdChoices