Ottawa man involved with Scouts Canada charged with sex offences, police say
Ottawa police say a 67-year-old former Scouts leader is facing charges in connection to historical sexual assaults on children.
Police announced Wednesday that John Rietveld is charged with buggery, indecent assault on a male, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference with a person under 16 and two counts of invitation to sexual touching with person under 16.
Police say the charges follow an investigation into historical sexual assaults that occurred between July 1, 1978 and March 2006.
In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Scouts Canada says Rietveld volunteered with the organization from 1967 to 1975, and was employed by Scouts Canada from 1975 to 2011.
"In July 2018, Scouts Canada was advised by police that Mr. Rietveld was under investigation," said Scouts Canada.
"We cooperated fully with the Ottawa Police Service and will continue to support their investigation in any way we can. While we have become aware that an incident took place at a Scouting event, the police have shared very few details with us."
Police say investigators believe there could be other victims, boys or girls, as offences were alleged to have occurred in Ottawa, the Niagara Region, Mississauga and Perth.
"It is alleged that one of the victims was assaulted while at a Jamboree,” police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ottawa Police Service Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit at 613-236-1222, extension 5944.
Correction
Ottawa Police say the charges follow an investigation into historical sexual assaults that occurred between July 1, 1978 and March 2006, not 1968 as previously reported.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
LIVE UPDATES Star witness returning to the stand for more testimony at Trump's at hush money trial
Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand Tuesday for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Already expensive, planning for fertility treatment difficult as costs vary widely
Being unable to have a child naturally can be extremely difficult. But when you factor in the high costs of fertility treatments, the range of individual circumstances and the fact that the industry itself is secretive about fees, it can make the whole ordeal even more devastating and hard to plan for.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.