Nearly five months after arresting a man they describe as a “self-appointed spiritual leader,” the Edmonton Police Service announced Thursday that the accused now faces additional sexual assault charges.
In a news release, police said Johannes (John) de Ruiter, 63, was charged Wednesday with three additional counts of sexual assault in relation to three separate incidents that allegedly occurred between 2012 and 2019.
In March, police announced that de Ruiter’s wife — Leigh Ann de Ruiter — had also been charged with three counts of sexual assault.
On Thursday, the EPS said the 64-year-old woman has now also been “jointly charged with two additional counts of sexual assault involving two of the same incidents” in which her husband is charged.
Police said John de Ruiter is the leader of a group known as the Oasis Group, or College of Integrated Philosophy, which operated out of the Oasis Building at 109 Avenue and 177 Street from 2007 to 2021.
When John de Ruiter was arrested on Jan. 21, police said investigators believe he had told certain female followers that he was directed by a spirit to have sex with them, and that by having sex with him, the women could achieve a state of higher being or spiritual enlightenment.
Police said Thursday that investigators are encouraging anyone who believes they are a victim in connection with this criminal investigation to come forward. People can call the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone, while anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at http://www.p3tips.com/250.