Toronto: A 12-year-old boy has been detained in connection with cases of sexual assault on several women last summer on walking trails in the eastern part of Toronto.
The first incident occurred on July 7, 2022, when a woman was running on the Gatineau Hydro Corridor Trail on Burchmount Road in Scarborough.
It was alleged that the boy blocked the woman’s path with his bike and then sexually assaulted her. A day after the incident, another woman was riding a bicycle in the same area when a boy stopped her on the pretext of showing her a trick and then sexually assaulted her.
On July 22, the 54-year-old woman was walking along the East Dawn Valley trail when the suspect approached her and asked her for water. After sexually assaulting the woman, he fled the area on his bike. The next day, a 52-year-old woman was walking with the East Don River Trail when a boy on a bike sexually assaulted her from behind her.
The police also received information about two more such incidents on September 7. Two women said that a boy riding a bike came from behind and sexually assaulted them. The first incident occurred near Burchmount Road on St. Clare Avenue in Scarborough. The second incident took place on the East Don River Trail.
During the investigation, the police twice asked the court to temporarily release its photograph to identify the suspect.
The 12-year-old boy was arrested on Monday and charged with two counts of sexual assault. He was only 11 years old when the five incidents took place and hence could not be charged in a criminal manner, police said. The suspect will be produced in court later. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, his identity cannot be issued.