A former provincial police officer appeared in an Ontario courthouse Friday, in a case of alleged sexual assault that has shocked the small town of Listowel, Ont.
Police arrested John Stone, 53, on Wednesday.
He faces a dozen charges, including sexual assault on a person under 16, sexual interference, indecent exposure, and child luring charges. He also faces one charge of drug trafficking.
Police say the charges involve multiple victims, but they will not specify how many.
Officers also say all of the alleged incidents happened in Listowel, Ont., a town of about 7,000 people.
Before moving to the town, Stone was once a member of the Ontario Provincial Police.
According to a LinkedIn profile under Stone’s name, he worked as a constable in Madoc, Ont., from 1985-1991.
The OPP confirmed that Stone once worked for the force.
"John Stone was once a provincial police officer, an OPP officer, 25 years ago," OPP Const. Kees Wijnands said. "From what I can tell, he resigned from the force and only served five years."
In court for a bail hearing on Friday, Stone shook his head as his charges were read aloud.
Based on potential new evidence, the Crown asked if the hearing could be extended to Monday.
Prosecutors suggested the possible evidence could lead to new charges.
The court granted the extension, and Stone is due back in court at 10 a.m. on Monday.
