A Salmon Arm man is in a Hamilton, Ont. jail cell following his arrest by local RCMP officers Aug. 8.
Sixty-eight-year old Howard Wayne Jones of 65th Street SW has been charged with indecent assault on a male and gross indecency.
The charges relate to alleged sexual offences that occurred from 1969-1972 at a property located in nearby Ancaster, Ont.
At that time, the property was known as the ‘Way-J Boys Ranch’ of Copetown, and was a group home for foster children who were wards of the court.
Hamilton police say Jones was arrested following complaints about the ranch, which surfaced early last spring.
Hamilton Police Detective Dave Oleniuk says the Way-J Boys Ranch was only in operation a short time, about six months from March or early April until the end of August or early September 1969.
Jones ran the ranch until it closed after there were “some complaints.”
Oleniuk could not say what the complaints were. The victim at that time made no statement so there was nothing on record.
A police appeal for anyone who worked or was a resident at the farm netted other witnesses and a Canada-wide warrant was issued for Jones in May 2011.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Kevin Keane says police officers picked Jones up at his home without incident at around 9:15 p.m. Aug. 8 and he was held in local cells until the next day when the Hamilton Police Department arrived to escort him to Ontario.
Keane says Jones was entered in a Canada-wide data base following a local traffic violation in May, something that might have alerted Hamilton police.
A bail hearing was held for Jones Friday, Aug. 12 and a Hamilton Police media release notes “it remains a possibility that there are more victims.”
There is no statute of limitations on criminal offences in Canada.