A former Scout leader in Ottawa is facing new charges of gross indecency, after first being charged last month.
Ottawa Police announced six counts of gross indecency had been laid against 67-year-old Donald Sullivan in late July, saying they were connected with alleged incidents dating back 30 years.
Sullivan was a Scout leader from 1972 to 1977 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Alta Vista. The alleged victims were 8 and 9 years old at the time and came forward in December of 2017.
Five more charges of gross indecency were laid Thursday. Police say Sullivan was arrested without incident.
Investigators believe there could be more victims who may have come into contact with Sullivan between 1972 and 2018.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service tip line at 613-236-1222, ext. 5760 or email at mcm@ottawapolice.ca<mailto:mcm@ottawapolice.ca
Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers, toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Gross indecency is a charge that is rarely laid in modern times, having been repealed in the 1980s. It is, however, sometimes laid in historical cases that relate to before that time. The Criminal Code did not define gross indecency, saying only in the 1985 Criminal Code, "Every one who commits an act of gross indecency with another person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years."
According to the federal Department of Justice, gross indecency, "found [its] origin in antiquated sodomy laws and were included in Canada's first Criminal Code in 1892."
The Ministry goes on to say, "The repealed offence provisions would continue to be available to prosecute conduct that is alleged to have occurred prior to 1983, before the general sexual assault provisions came into force. Some of these repealed offence provisions, which were enacted pre-Charter, may not comply with today's Charter standards. In some cases, such offence provisions (including buggery and gross indecency) are still needed to prosecute alleged historical sexual offending that would constitute an offence if committed today."