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Additional child sexual harassment charges have been filed against the Assiniboia man

Additional child sexual harassment charges have been filed against the Assiniboia man

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The RCMP has filed an additional 60 charges against an Assiniboia man who was arrested for sexually assaulting several children at a daycare last fall.

Chief Superintendent Ted Munro, the officer in charge of criminal operations for the Saskatchewan RCMP, said the continued investigation has led to charges relating to several “historic sexual assaults” in the Coronach and Estevan area, allegedly linked to 46-year-old Richard Dyke stand.

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Dyke was arrested in November following an investigation into a reported sexual assault of three boys under 12 in the mid-2010s. He was charged with 12 different felony counts of sexual abuse, voyeurism and child pornography.

Munro said further examination of the materials seized during this search warrant identified an additional 29 victims, for a total of 32 known victims between the ages of 18 months and 17 years.

“The scope of this investigation has proven to be significant,” Munro said.

Dyke has now been charged with 14 additional counts of sexual assault, 14 counts of sexual harassment, 23 counts of producing child pornography and nine counts of voyeurism in connection with the 29 additional victims.

The Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit, Digital Forensic Services and local RCMP detachments were involved. Forensic officers analyzed “1.5 million pieces of digital evidence” from seized electronic devices and conducted interviews with victims.

Munro said this included both “images and videos” of pornographic material depicting underage children. Next dThe information is being kept secret to protect the identities of the victims, but he said “most are male.”

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“If you were to take this evidence and print it out, it would be the equivalent of a six-story building,” Munro said.

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C/Supt. Ted Munro provides an update on an online sexual assault and child exploitation investigation taking place on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Regina, southern Saskatchewan. Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina leadership position

Victims allegedly “came into contact” with Dyke in “various scenarios” while he attended home daycare centers in Coronach, Assiniboia and Swift Current.

Other “communities known to be affected” include Tisdale, Estevan and Gravelbourg.

RCMP said the daycare belonged to Dyke’s wife.

“There is no evidence that the spouse knew what was going on and this individual is currently cooperating with police,” Munro said.

Dyke was an instructor with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets in seven communities in southern Saskatchewan, where he “interacted primarily with youth,” although none of the identified victims are “related to his role in the Air Cadets program,” Munro noted.

The investigation is ongoing and RCMP said information is being shared to encourage any other potential victims to come forward.

“Crimes of this nature have a profound impact on the victims, their families and the communities in which they occur,” Munro said. “We encourage those who have additional information or believe their child may be a victim to contact police.”

Dyke has remained in custody since his arrest and is scheduled to appear in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on June 4.

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