A former Girl Guides of Canada leader from a town in south-central Ontario has been charged in connection with a historical sexual assault case dating back to 1998.
York Regional Police launched an investigation in March 2025 when a victim came forward to report she was sexually abused by her Pathfinders leader, police said in a press release. Pathfinders are the branch of Girl Guides for 12- to 14-year-olds.
The alleged abuse is reported to have taken place from January 1998 to September 2002, during which time the victim was younger than 16. The Pathfinders leader would have been 38 years old at the time the offences began, police said in the April 28 press release.
Charged in connection with the sexual abuse case is 64-year-old Karen Spence of Georgina, a town in the Regional Municipality of York. She was charged on April 21 with three counts each of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a young person.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Investigators suspect there could be further victims and have published Spence’s picture to encourage others who may have been impacted to step forward, they said.
Related Stories
Spence served as a Girl Guide leader in the Georgina region from 1995 to 2001, acting as both a Sparks leader for children aged five to six and a Pathfinders leader, police said. Spence has also served as a youth hockey coach and referee.
“York Regional Police encourages victims to report incidents of sexual assault, including historical offences,” investigators said. “There is no statute of limitations for sexual offences and offenders can be prosecuted well after the date of the offence.”
Anyone with information is asked to either contact the York Regional Police Special Victims Unit or to anonymously contact Crime Stoppers.
Jairatan Singh, left, and Saman Salimianrizi have been charged in two separate sexual assault incidents by York Regional Police. Police handout photo
Sex Assaults in GTA
Investigators with the York Regional Police Special Victims Unit have also charged two men with sexual assault in the past week after reports of unwanted touching at a mall and on a city bus.
SIU investigators have charged a Toronto man after an incident at the Vaughan Mills Mall on April 11 when a suspect reportedly touched the victim in a sexual manner and offered to purchase items for them in exchange for further sexual contact.
Police did not release the age or gender of the victim.
Jairatan Singh, 28, of Toronto has been charged with sexual assault and invitation to sexual touching in connection with the incident.
The second incident occurred April 21 on a city bus travelling from Yonge Street in Richmond Hill to Finch Station in Toronto when a man sat beside the female victim and allegedly touched her in a sexual manner. The victim yelled at the suspect and reported the incident to the bus driver, police said.
Investigators have charged 31-year-old Saman Salimianrizi of Aurora with sexual assault in connection with the incident.
Police said both of the men are believed to have engaged in such behaviour previously and are asking other victims to come forward.
“Sexual assault includes any non-consensual contact of a sexual nature,” police 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.”
