Former Brant County councillor charged for sex assaults on Hamilton teens

A former Brant County councillor and member of the police board has been charged with sexual assault against teens in Hamilton, and police believe there may be more victims.

According to a police news release, a teen went to an address in central Hamilton back in March, where he was given marijuana and then sexually assaulted.

Police say that during their investigation into that incident, officers discovered another young person had also been sexually assault there on multiple occasions between December of 2017 and May of 2018. Hamilton police say the victims are 14 and 15-years-old.

Police have charged 61-year-old Leonard Bekendam with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference.

Bekendam, who is originally from Caledonia, was a member of the municipal council in Brant County from 1994 to 1999, and was appointed to the Brant County Police Services Board in 2004.

According to The Brantford Expositor, Bekendampleaded guilty back in 2013to five counts of sexual exploitation, three counts of attempting to procure the sexual services of someone under 18, and one count each of indecent assault, sexual assault and trafficking in controlled substances. Those chargesinvolved 10 victims and spanned a timeframe from 1981 to 2010.

Provincial documents show Bekendamcoached baseball for six years, and served on a number of local committees in Brant including the policing task force, the emergency services board and the committee of adjustment.

He was also a member of the planning and advisory committee for Brant County.

Hamilton police investigators say that during their investigation, they were told other young people who have not yet been identified hadalso beenassaulted

Anyone with information about any assaults is asked to call police at 905-546-3855.

adam.carter@cbc.ca