A 16-year-old boy from Garden River First Nation has been charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement.
The charges stem from an alleged incident that occurred on April 16 in Garden River.
SooToday has learned the alleged victim is under the age of five.
The Anishinabek Police Service laid the charges on May 7, according to an undertaking filed in court.
The accused was released from custody on the condition that he not be within 20 meters of his alleged victim.
When contacted by SooToday, APS declined to provide more information about the investigation.
“We aim to be as transparent as possible when providing information to the media and public, more so when there are serious public safety concerns,” said Jennifer Hartman, communications lead, in an email.
“It should be noted that some information may not be immediately available, or provided at all, for reasons including, but not limited to: the safety of our police officers, legislative restrictions (i.e. Police Services Act, Youth Criminal Justice Act), protecting the privacy of victims, and maintaining the integrity of investigations.”
The next court date on the matter is scheduled for June 24 in Sault Ste. Marie.
Because of his age, the suspect's identity is protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.