By The Canadian Press
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
LYNN LAKE, Man. — A man has been arrested after RCMP say 11 boys in a northern Manitoba town were sexually abused.
RCMP say they received a report in July that a man was believed to be sexually exploiting boys in the small community of Lynn Lake, about 1,070 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
The investigation found that the man was bringing boys who were under the age of 16 to his home.
RCMP say the boys told investigators they were groomed with money, alcohol, drugs and other things.
Some of the allegations date back to 2017.
Arnold Collier, who is 52, was arrested and faces 67 charges including sexual assault and sexual interference.
RCMP say Collier also had a court-imposed condition not to associate with children under the age of 16.
He is to appear in court in Thompson on Sept. 3.
“What occurred in this small community is devastating,” said RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre in a news release Thursday.
Manaigre said providing gifts is a common way offenders groom their victims and he encouraged parents to speak to their children about this tactic.
There are about 675 people living in Lynn Lake. Manaigre said investigators believe they’ve found all of the victims but he encouraged anyone who may have been abused to contact police or Klinic, a community health provider that can accept reports from survivors who are 16-years-old or older.
