Chilliwack man arrested on 11 sexual assault charges from B.C. Interior
Police in Chilliwack have arrested a man who was wanted on multiple sexual assault charges in B.C.'s Interior.
Joel Eric Carlson, 28, is charged with 11 counts of sexual assault and one count of assault, all of them stemming from an investigation that began last fall, according to a news release from Kamloops RCMP.
The former Kamloops resident was first arrested in September 2020 by Vernon RCMP for "offences related to sexual assault and forcible confinement," police said.
The Vernon detachment issued an appeal for other victims to come forward, and several contacted Kamloops RCMP.
The charges against Carlson were approved on Thursday and a warrant for his arrest was issued. He was arrested in Chilliwack on Friday and appeared in provincial court on the charges the same day, according to police.
In the news release, Sgt. Nestor Baird of Kamloops RCMP's Serious Crime Unit highlighted the detachment's work on sex crime investigations, including the recent hiring of a dedicated sex crimes investigator.
"This investigation and the number of victims who came forward following the public safety advisory reminds us of how many sexual assaults occur that are never reported to police for numerous reasons," said Baird in the release. "We are again asking anyone who may have information about this individual to please contact your local police."
Const. Rachel Buliziuk, the Kamloops detachment's sex crimes investigator, encouraged survivors of sexual assault to come forward, promising to provide them help and support.
"The success of any investigation ultimately starts with the survivors," Buliziuk said in the release.
"We know it’s not easy to come forward about these types of offences, but we want you to know that we are here for you. Whether you are an alleged victim of this accused person, or of an instance completely unrelated to this, we want to help you through the investigative process and start your path to healing."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.