In a follow-up to a previous story, on May 27, the OPS charged a 50-year-old man in connection with a sexual assault that occurred late Saturday, March 28, on Colonel By Drive, in the area beneath the Mackenzie King Bridge. The assault took place between approximately 11:00 p.m. ET and midnight. The assault was subsequently reported to the OPS, and the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit investigated the incident. During the investigation, officers identified the suspect as 50-year-old David Cheddesingh and arrested him on May 25. The investigation is ongoing and investigators believe there could be additional victims. Police are asking anyone who may have been driving along Colonel By Drive during that time and has dash cam footage, or anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed anything suspicious, to come forward.

On May 29, the OPS charged two men following a multi-jurisdictional investigation involving technology-facilitated sexual violence. After the OPS received a report of harmful online content depicting the victim, investigators quickly launched a trauma-informed and victim-centred investigation. The investigation focused on allegations of criminal harassment and the online exploitation of women, including the alleged misuse of emerging technologies to create and distribute harmful sexual content without consent, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes. As the investigation progressed, investigators determined that the impact extended beyond a single complainant and crossed jurisdictional boundaries. 

Police charged Stephen Lowe, 60, of Maitland, NS and Gregry Van Beek, 38, of West Nipissing, ON. Police arrested Lowe on February 12 and charged him with 25 counts of harassment by combination of prohibited conduct, 25 counts of uttering threats, 25 counts of publishing/possessing obscene material for distribution, 2 counts of printing/publishing/possessing to publish child sexual abuse material, and 2 counts of importing/selling/distributing, etc. child sexual abuse material. 

Van Beek was arrested on May 2 and has been charged with 2 counts of harassment by watching and besetting, 1 count of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, 2 counts of uttering threats and 2 counts of publishing intimate images without consent. As the matter is before the courts and subject to a publication ban, that is all the available information at this time.

On May 30, the OPS responded to Mooney’s Bay Park at approximately 8:53 p.m. ET following reports of a stabbing altercation, where two injured victims were located. Authorities located two injured victims, transporting one to the hospital with serious injuries, while the other victim received minor injuries. No arrests have been made at this time, as the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the OPS.

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