York Regional Police say 32-year-old former youth leader at a mosque has been charged in connection with a sexual exploitation investigation dating back to 2016.
Police say an investigation was launched in August 2016 when a female youth came forward to report that she had been “groomed into a relationship” with a youth leader at a mosque.
According to investigators, “after the passage of time,” additional information was provided to officers and a suspect was arrested on Jan. 17, 2020.
The suspect, identified by police as Vaughan resident Mordecai Gal, has been charged with sexual exploitation and sexual assault.
He has been released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 5, 2020.
York Regional Police say they have released a photo of the suspect “to ensure that there are no addition victims or witnesses.”
Anyone with information about the case can contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
