Harry Charles Sadd, 70, of Victoria, was arrested in connection with a series of historic sexual assaults after a victim came forward. Credit: Victoria Police Department
A former youth badminton coach who was arrested in Victoria last August for a series of historic sexual assaults is facing 23 new charges.
Victoria police say 12 more victims have come forward claiming they were sexually assaulted by Harry Charles Sadd, 70, of Victoria.
Sadd was first arrested last year for a series of sexual assaults that took place in the late 1970s and continued for several years. The investigation started when a victim came forward to report that they had been assaulted. VicPD Special Victim Investigators also announced they were searching for additional victims.
The victims are all men who were between the ages of 9 to 15 when the offences occurred. The investigation has revealed victims going back to the late 1960s.
“This particular file has been a really difficult one to investigate because there have been so many men coming forward in their 40s and 50s to talk about what happened to them when they were little boys,” Sgt. Kristi Ross with the VicPD Special Victims Unit said.
“A lot of these men have experienced guilt, shame, embarrassment, and many of them had never told anyone in their entire life about the abuse so this investigation is the first time they’ve ever disclosed the abuse”
The 23 new charges include eight counts of sexual assault, six counts of being a male person did indecently assault another male person, three counts of gross indecency, four counts of buggery or bestiality and two counts of assault with intent to commit buggery or indecent assault on a male.
Sadd is a former youth badminton coach who once worked as a teacher. He was also a member of the Knights of Colombus chapter associated with St. Patrick’s Church.
Some of the charges only existed when the alleged offences occurred and do not have the same name under the Canada Criminal Code.
Sadd remains in custody and appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. His bail hearing has been put over until Monday.
VicPD are asking any other potential victims to come forward by calling 250-995-7654, the Men’s Trauma Centre at 250-381-6367 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Alexa Huffman
