Man charged with sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy

Windsor police cruiser at headquarters in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Melanie Kentner/CTV News Windsor)

Windsor police have charged a 46-year-old man in connection with the sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy.

On June 25, the Major Crimes Unit launched an investigation after receiving a report that a four-year-old boy had been sexually assaulted by a man the previous evening.

The preliminary investigation revealed the suspect, described as a family friend, allegedly committed the assault while alone with the child during an unsupervised outing.

The child’s parent noticed significant injuries after the incident, prompting an immediate trip to the hospital and a call to police. However, before officers could locate the suspect, he had crossed the border into Michigan.

Investigators quickly issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified as Shahzad Hameedi.

On Friday, members of the United States Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police-led Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (ROPE) Squad, located and arrested Hameedi at a residence in Royal Oak, Mich.

He will be returned back to Windsor, where he faces charges of aggravated sexual assault and sexual interference with a person under 16 years of age.

To protect the identity and privacy of the victim, no further details will be released at this time.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Major Crimes Unit at 519-255-6700, ext. 4830. They can also contact Windsor & Essex County Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.catchcrooks.com.

If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call Victim Services Windsor Essex County at 519-723-2711 or the Victim Assistance Unit at Windsor Police at 519-255-6700, ext. 4979.