A 33-year-old Toronto man has been sentenced to eight and a half years in custody after pleading guilty in connection with two violent sexual assaults in Mississauga and Richmond Hill almost a decade ago.

In September 2013, a 47-year-old female victim was exiting a transit bus in the area of South Service Road and Crestview Avenue in Mississauga when a male suspect produced a weapon, grabbed the victim and pulled her into a darkened area, where he sexually assaulted her.

The following year, in November, a 17-year-old female exited a transit bus at around 12:30 a.m. at Yonge Street and Canyon Hill Avenue in Richmond Hill and was approached by an unknown male armed with a knife who demanded money from her, then pulled her into a field and sexually assaulted her.

In both cases, the suspect reportedly threatened to kill the victim if she went to the police.

“A lengthy and thorough investigation was conducted but the suspect remained unidentified,” York Regional Police (YRP) said in a press release on Tuesday.

“In the fall of 2021, the Centre for Forensic Sciences notified investigators of a forensic link from an unrelated incident. Officers pursued this new information, which ultimately led to identifying the suspect.”

On Monday, Jaehyun “David” Cho pleaded guilty to sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm and disguise with intent. He was sentenced to eight and a half years in custody.

Police are asking anyone with further information to contact the YRP Special Victims Unit – Sexual Assault Section at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7071, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.1800222tips.com.