In November, a 45-year-old woman reported to York Regional Police that she had met a man online in the early part of the month who had sexually assaulted her in Markham.
Police are now charging Ravinder Kumar Shinh, 49, of Markham, with sexual assault, assault, and forcible confinement.
The woman was a recent arrival to Canada and didn’t speak English, using an online translation app to communicate with him, police said.
According to police, the suspect invited the woman to his apartment in the area of Markham Road and Denison Street, and once there, the victim was confined against her will and sexually assaulted.
Shinh is being held in custody for a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on Nov. 22.
Investigators believe there may be other victims who have not yet come forward and they are being urged to contact police as soon as possible.
“A sexual assault includes any non-consensual contact of a sexual nature,” a York Regional Police news release said. “York Regional Police would like to encourage anyone who feels they may have been a victim of a sexual assault to come forward and report the incident to police.”
If someone is not ready to report, but seeking support, they can contact York Region Victim Services victimservices-york.org or the Women’s Support Network womenssupportnetwork.ca.
Additional resources and information can be found on York Regional Police’s website http://www.yrp.ca/en/services/resources/sexualassaultsurvivorsguide.pdf.
Anyone with information is asked to call the York Regional Police Sexual Assault and Crimes Against Children Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7071. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222- TIPS or by leaving an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.
