A man who allegedly pretended to be a member of the Catholic clergy was re-arrested for sexual assault-related offences against children, after more victims came forward.
Justin Georges Stephen Coulombe, 33, was arrested on Thursday in Edmonton, just one week after being arrested for eight other offences. Alberta’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit said additional victims came forward after police issued a statement on Coulombe’s arrest.
Alberta’s Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) said Coulombe is now facing four counts of sexual interference and one count of invitation to sexual touching after two more victims came forward with information. Investigators interviewed the victims about the alleged events that took place several years ago, according to Brian Cross, a detective with ALERT.
Related Stories
“They were interviewed and deemed to be inappropriate sexual relations with minors,” said Cross.
Coulombe is facing eight other charges from his July 27 arrest, including luring to commit making child pornography, possession of child pornography and extortion.
In a statement Tuesday, investigators said they seized multiple electronic devices from Coulombe’s home. Preliminary forensic work on the devices revealed child pornography, according to investigators.
The investigation originally began after the mother of a victim came to police with information about sexually graphic messages that were exchanged online, according to investigators.
According to police, Coulombe presented himself as a member of the Catholic clergy but did not actually have any affiliation with the church. Investigators said there was no evidence to suggest that victims were allegedly lured while he posed as a priest.
Lorraine Turchansky, with the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, confirmed to CTV Vancouver that there was no record of Coulombe in the church, adding that very careful records are kept.
“He has never been ordained as a priest in the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton or any archdiocese in Canada or the U.S.,” Turchansky told CTV Vancouver.
According to police, Coulombe had lived in Langley, B.C. until earlier this year, but the new charges are related to alleged offences that happened in Edmonton.
Coulombe had been out on bail and living under several court-set conditions. He remains in custody at this time with a new bail hearing set for next week.
None of the allegations against Coulombe have been proven in court.