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Oct 29, 2025 4:09 PM - Connect Newsroom

B.C. man charged in 1997 Ontario sexual assault cases after DNA breakthrough

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Ontario Provincial Police say advances in DNA technology led to the arrest of a Campbell River man in a 1997 sexual assault investigation. (Photo: The Canadian Press)

Ontario Provincial Police say a 52-year-old man from Campbell River, British Columbia, has been arrested in connection with a series of sexual assaults that took place across southwestern Ontario nearly three decades ago.

Investigators allege four females were assaulted in separate incidents between March and August 1997 in Lambton County, Kent County, and the city of Sarnia. Three of the victims were teenagers aged 15 and 16 at the time.

According to police, the suspect allegedly used a vehicle to drive each victim to a secluded area before committing the assaults and leaving them behind. The case remained unsolved for years until recent advances in DNA analysis linked the accused to the historic crimes.

The man now faces 15 charges, including three counts of sexual assault and four counts of forcible confinement. OPP have released photos of the suspect from 1996 and 2025 and are asking anyone with additional information to contact investigators.

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