Winnipeg police charge Manitoba man with sexual assaults on children in 1980s

Winnipeg police say they have arrested a 65-year-old man from Lundar, Man., in connectionwith a series of child sexual assaultsin the 1980s, while the man was involved in a church group.

Joseph Floyd Delaney was arrested on Feb. 24 and faces several charges, including sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching.

The charges reflect the Criminal Code that was in effect during the time the offences occurred.

Police said they were contacted in early December by a survivor of sexual abuse.

They started an investigation, and two more accusers came forward. All three were minors at the time but are now adults.

Police saidDelaney was known to the children,who were all around 10 years old at the time of the alleged abuse and are both female and male.

Somebut not all of themmet Delaney through a church theatregroup he ran. The church, which police did not identify, is in the southwest part of Winnipeg.

Delaney was involved with the church from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.

The church theatre group was one way in which the accused met the children, but it is not the only way, Const. Rob Carver said.

Carver emphasized that if there are more victims, they may not have been connected to Delaney through the theatre group.

"While we feel that his work in the theatre group may have been key, it is not the only key that is connecting the survivors to the accused," Carver said.

"I don't want to limit it to that, because we could have a survivor out there that may have no knowledge or exposure to the theatre production and may have been assaulted."

The investigation continues and anyone with information or who wishes to speak to investigators is asked to call thechild abuse unit at 204-986-3296 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).