Canadian Forces member charged in Petawawa sex assaults

Corporal Christopher Raymond Chaulk of Canadian Forces Base Petawawa was charged today with four counts of sexual assault, two relating to incidents that occurred on May 6 and 7 and two relating to incidents in the fall of 2009.

Late yesterday, the Department of National Defence reported that two women in Petawawa were sent to hospital after suffering sexual assaults.

One woman was attacked by a man who broke into her home in the married quarters on the base when she was alone.

The second woman was allegedly attacked by the same man while walking on a footpath on the base.

In both cases the male attacker was not known to the victims.

Following is the full text of a news release from the Department of National Defence regarding the arrest of Corporal Christopher Raymond Chaulk on charges of sexual assault.

************************* Canadian Forces member charged for sexual assaults at CFB Petawawa

CFB PETAWAWA, ONTARIO - (May 9) - The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS), the investigative arm of the Canadian Forces Military Police, today charged a Canadian Forces (CF) member for sexual assaults in the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Petawawa area.

Corporal Christopher Raymond Chaulk is charged with four counts of sexual assault, contrary to section 271 of the Criminal Code of Canada (CCC), and four counts of assault, contrary to section 266 of the CCC.

He was charged today following his arrest on Saturday, May 8.

He currently is in custody at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, and will appear in Pembroke Provincial Court tomorrow for a bail hearing.

The charges stem from two incidents in the CFB Petawawa area in the fall of 2009, and two recent ones in the early mornings of May 6 and 8, 2010.

The CFNIS have and continue to collaborate with the CFB Petawawa Military Police and the Ontario Provincial Police in these cases.

The investigation is still ongoing.

The CFNIS is an independent military police unit with a mandate to investigate serious and sensitive matters in relation to national defence property, DND employees, and Canadian Forces personnel serving in Canada and abroad.

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