Cops Try To Find Victims In Two Quarter Century Old Sex Assaults

How far back can you remember about a traumatic incident in your life?

It’s a question both Toronto Police and their colleagues in Peel are hoping someone out there can answer.

Both squads are dealing with cases of sexual assault that stretch back more than a quarter of a century. And both involve men who were in positions of trust.

The Toronto case centres on a tennis coach named John Turner, who is facing sex assault charges for incidents cops allege took place at his home and involved two 15-year-old boys.

The alleged attacks happened somewhere in Ontario in the 1980s but the information about the 54-year-old’s supposed activities has only now come to light.

Both of his apparent victims are now in their 30s.

Turner turned himself in before cops could arrest him, and has now been charged and released. Officials at the Mayfair Racquet Club, where the suspect coached, call him an excellent employee and they’re stunned by the allegations.

Turner, who is married, will be in court to face charges of gross indecency and indecent assault on October 23rd.

But investigators believe other young kids might have received the kind of lesson they weren’t expecting. If you know anything about the past activities of the accused, call (416) 808-3205 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at ( 416) 222-TIPS (8477).

On the same day that cops made that incident known, their colleagues in Mississauga revealed they were working on a previously unknown case of child assault of their own.

Peel Police are looking for victims of a man they believe took advantage of unsuspecting kids 27 years ago.

On Tuesday, detectives in Mississauga located a man named Garth Stanwyn Bent, arresting him for five counts of indecent sexual assault.

They contend his crimes date all the way back to 1981 and ’82, when the now 48-year-old Bent was a youth pastor at St. Bride’s Church in the city. The Acton resident was also the trip director at the Ontario Pioneer Camp in Port Sydney during that time and would have come into contact with dozens or even hundreds of youngsters.

So when a number of alleged victims came forward to accuse Bent of assaulting them, police began an investigation. They charged him for the first time last January. And when more cases surfaced this week, they were back with additional accusations.

He’s already before the courts on some of the charges but the latest mean several now-grown adults have come forward. They were between the ages of 12 and 14 at the time of the alleged incidents and likely didn’t know what was happening to them.

Cops fear there are more victims they have yet to hear from and are asking anyone who may have had contact with Bent around that time to call them. They know it was 27 years ago, but investigators believe these memories never fade.

If you have anything to tell police about this case, call The Peel Special Victims Unit at (905) 453-3311 ext. 3460 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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