Members of the Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have laid charges against a former priest in relation to a historical sexual assault investigation in Campbellford.
In March 2022, investigators received information that the victim had allegedly been sexually assaulted between 2015 to 2020 at a church in Campbellford.
As a result of the investigation, Jean-Pierre PILON (also known as Anthony Lawrence), 50 year s of age, from Mamora, has been charged with two counts of Sexual Assault.
The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg on August 31, 2022, to answer to the charges.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information in relation to this investigation or anyone who believes they may be a victim of a similar incident is asked to call Northumberland OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or if you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). You can also leave an anonymous tip online at https://ontariocrimestoppers.ca/
The OPP is reminding the public to always use caution and be aware of their personal safety at all times. You can report a sexual offence to police no matter how long ago it happened, and someone can be charged for sexual assault. Our duty is to bring an appropriate resolution to the case by conducting a professional and thorough investigation, while at the same time providing you with necessary information, resources, and support.
You can report a sexual assault by calling the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. If you do not want to make a report to police or need time and support to make that decision, we have partnered with many other agencies that can help. Ontario 211 provides information on and referrals to Ontario’s community, social, health-related and government services. Simply call 2-1-1 or visit 211ontario.ca for more information.
You can also find local resources and support by searching your location on the Victim Services Directory at http://services.findhelp.ca/ovss/ or contact the Rape Coalition of Ontario at https://sexualassaultsupport.ca/.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
