Police say they believe a 36-year-old Richmond Hill man who was already in custody in connection with a number of sexual assaults is responsible for attacking three women in High Park in May.
The alleged attacks took place on a secluded pathway in the west-end park on the evenings of May 3 and 4.
In each incident, police say the unarmed suspect approached women walking by themselves and then sexually assaulted them.
According to Det. Dan Luff, the suspect was charged on Monday with three counts of sexual assault in connection with the attacks. At the time of the laying of the charges, the suspect was in police custody awaiting trial on three other sexual assault charges dating back to October.
Those charges pertain to attacks that took place in Beltline Trail Park, the Kay Gardiner Beltline Pathway and the Yonge Street and Finch Avenue area.
“He is not from Toronto, his original attack was up in the Yonge and Finch area, which is a fair distance from High Park, and the two other attacks are basically in the Yonge and St. Clair area, so he does move around,” Duff told reporters at police headquarters, noting that there could be additional victims. “For all we know he may be doing Peel, he could be doing Durham or other parts of Toronto.”
Duff said the suspect was released on bail in October following the first alleged offence but was arrested again on June 30 shortly after the alleged sexual assault of a woman on the Kay Gardner Beltline pathway and has been in custody since then.
It is not known what evidence allowed police to tie the suspect to the High Park sex assaults but Duff said that “information that came forward” played a role.
Police had previously circulated a sketch of an alleged suspect in the case.
“I don’t want to get too detailed into the evidence at this point but we have evidence that sort of links all the different cases together,” Duff said. “I am satisfied he is the person responsible for all these offences.”
According to Duff, the suspect operates a landscaping company and resides with his father in Richmond Hill.
Mark James Towell is expected to appear in court at College Park via video link on Thursday morning.
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