The city’s deputy police chief says a sexual assault victim list could climb as high as 100 people.
Andy Hay made the statement Tuesday, just hours after police announced the arrest of 46-year-old former bible camp counsellor Jeff Paxton on decades-old alleged offences that date back to 1983, the result of a two-year-old investigation.
Police allege the suspect, who was arrested Monday at the Great Northwest Coffee Company, where he’s a part owner, sexually assaulted several boys between the ages of seven and 14, the most recent incident occurring in 2004.
But Hay, who spoke as openly about the case as the law would allow, said it’s likely there are a lot more victims out there, given how great a time span over which the alleged offences occurred and the nature of his activities during the period. Paxton was a counsellor at the Round Lake Bible Camp near Nolalu, was invovled in several church groups and also acted as a babysitter at different times.
“We could have a large number of victims come forward,” Hay said. “The suspect has worked in a number of venues where he has access to younger boys. It’s over a 30-year period, so it’s not hard to do the math that there could be anywhere from 50 to 100 or more victims.”
At present, Paxton is facing 10 charges and is awaiting a June 21 court date in the Thunder Bay District Jail.
Among the charges are four counts of gross indecency, four counts of sexual assault and two counts of invitation to sexual touching.
The alleged crimes first came to light in 2011, Hay said, when a single victim came forward. Paxton was charged with three counts of gross indecency in 2012.
Charges couldn’t simply be laid overnight, Hay said.
“Investigations in instances like these are very difficult to investigate. You’re dealing with some very sensitive issues that have happened over a very long period of time,” Hay said. “So you’re dealing with a lot of victims with a lot of issues.
“There’s a lot of damage that’s been done. The important thing is that we get him before the courts and that we stop the damage that he has (allegedly) been doing and we take it from there.”
Hay said it wouldn’t surprise him if more victims from the more recent past emerge, one of the main reasons police decided to be so open in discussing the case – though they have chosen not to reveal the exact number of victims who have come forward to date.
A man connected to the initial victim, who asked not to be named publicly to protect the identity of at least one of the victims, said the case was first opened in 1998, but eventually dropped.
The man said he convinced the victim two years ago to try again.
“His commitment opened the apparent floodgates,” he said, praising the efforts of the two present investigators, while questioning why police dropped the case 16 years ago. Police on Wednesday confirmed a preliminary investigation into Paxton was conducted in 1997 and that they're reviewing it presently.
Police are hoping Tuesday’s revelation and charges will convince more victims, if they’re out there, to contact investigators.
Anyone with information about these incidents, or other ones allegedly involving the suspect, are asked to call police at 684-1200 or 623-8477.
