76-year-old man charged in Sherbrooke, Que. for sex crimes against children under 10 years of age

SHERBROOKE, Que. — A 76-year-old man who allegedly committed sexual abuse of a young person under the age of 10 was arrested by the Sherbrooke Police Department.

The suspect is Robert Pépin, who appeared in Quebec Court on Thursday where he was charged with sexual interference with a child, invitation to sexual touching and sexual assault.

Police say the suspect has a history of similar offences.

The Criminal Investigation Division of the Sherbrooke Police Service reported that they were made aware of the allegations a few weeks ago. However, due to the court process, police are not releasing specific investigative information at this time.

Nonetheless, SPS investigators are working with criminal prosecutors and note that additional charges may be laid in this case.

Citizens who may have been victims of Pépin are encouraged to contact the police. Police suspect there could be other victims in the Eastern Townships, but also in the Montreal and Lower St. Lawrence regions.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 15, 2021.