Ontario Provincial Police have announced the charging of a man from British Columbia in connection with a series of violent sexual assaults that occurred almost thirty years ago in southwestern Ontario. The OPP revealed on Wednesday that Jason Timothy Davidson, aged 52 and hailing from Campbell River, was apprehended as a result of Project Aerial, a collaborative investigation with Sarnia police.
Davidson is now facing a total of 15 charges, which include aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, forcible confinement, and uttering threats. The police specified that the assaults, involving four separate incidents, transpired between March and August of 1997 in Lambton County, Kent County, and the City of Sarnia, with three of the victims being minors at the time.
The details of each assault are as follows: on March 26, 1997, a teenage girl was abducted in Sarnia and assaulted in a rural area in Sombra Township; on May 23, 1997, another teenage girl was assaulted in a wooded area near Thamesville; on June 7, 1997, an adult woman was assaulted in a remote area in Sarnia; and on August 20, 1997, a young girl was assaulted in Dover Township, Kent County. In all instances, the suspect fled the scene after the assaults, leaving the victims behind.
Detective Inspector Michael Moore, who oversaw Project Aerial for the OPP’s Criminal Investigation Branch, stated that the cases were initially investigated independently by local authorities before commonalities emerged. He highlighted that the suspect, described as a white male in his 30s with specific physical features, used a vehicle to transport victims to secluded areas for the assaults before driving away.
Despite years of investigation and public appeals, the cases remained unsolved until advancements in DNA technology and forensic techniques led to the identification of Davidson as the suspect. With the help of RCMP and Vancouver police, Davidson was arrested in Campbell River and subsequently brought back to Ontario.
Moore emphasized that the arrest signifies a significant breakthrough in a long-standing investigation and expressed hope that the charges would offer some form of closure to the survivors and their families. OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the commitment to providing answers and supporting the victims.
Davidson is currently in custody and appeared in court in Chatham on Wednesday, with another court appearance scheduled for November 7. Police have urged anyone with information regarding the investigation to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.