Accused Wetaskiwin sexual predator identified in court documents
An accused sexual predator in Wetaskiwin faces 13 sex–related charges against three female teenagers.
At the end of March, Wetaskiwin RCMP issued a news release about the charges, describing it as a possible case of child exploitation. Mounties refused to identify the accused, even after confirming the three teens were not connected to each other or related to the suspect in any way.
Court documents obtained by CBC News reveal the identity of the accused. Edward Leonard Wolf allegedly sexually assaulted three girls between August 2016 and March 2018. There is no publication ban on Wolf's name, but the identities of the teens are protected by a court–ordered publication ban.
Wolf was scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday morning, but instead his lawyer appeared on his behalf. Wolf remains free on bail.
A judge ordered Wolf to be in court for the next scheduled appearance next month.
He faces the following charges against the young women who were all under age 16 at the time of the alleged offences:
Complainant 1
- Sex assault and unlawful touching between Aug. 1, 2016 and Aug. 31, 2016
- Sex assault and unlawful touching between Sept. 1 2016 and Nov. 30, 2016
Complainant 2
- Sex assault and unlawful touching between Dec.1, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2017
- Sex assault and unlawful touching between March 1, 2018 and March 31, 2018
Complainant 3
- Sex assault and unlawful touching on March 26, 2018
Wolf is also charged with one count of child luring and two counts of trying to obtain sexual services from a person under the age of 18.
According to court documents, Wolf lives on a quiet residential street in central Wetaskiwin. RCMP say they have not notified Wolf's neighbours about the case.
When Mounties first announced the charges, they stated the belief there could be more victims. Const. Christine Hepburn confirmed Tuesday that so far, no further victims have come forward.
When asked if there were any regrets about not releasing Wolf's name, Hepburn said, "No, because we're doing it to protect the victims."
