Detective Sergeant Jason Rybak speaking to media following the arrest of Jose Antonio Dasousa Pimental charged in a historic sexual assault (Adam Riley / Acadia Broadcasting)

Thunder Bay Police this morning announced a boxing coach has been charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

Detective-Sergeant Jason Rybak says the assaults date back to 1995.  Police add the accused, 62-year old Jose Antonio Dasousa Pimentel of Thunder Bay, maintained a position of trust and authority over the alleged victims known to him through boxing.

“Through this investigation police have laid charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation against Pimentel in July of 2023, and the continued investigation efforts led to a second victim being identified and as a result the Thunder Bay Police Service laid an additional sexual assault charge on Thursday August 17th 2023.”

The investigation, which began last November, is continuing.

Some athletes who trained under Pimentel went on to provincial, national and even Olympic competitions, and as a result investigators believe there may be other victims beyond Thunder Bay.

“Our investigation is Thunder Bay centered, we know that certainly over 30 years people may have been victimized in Thunder Bay and moved across Canada and the United States and so we’re making that plea nationally and I’ll say internationally in a sense that you know we’re close to the U.S.”

Police are appealing to the public for anyone to come forward who may have been a witness to these assaults or a possible victim. If you believe you were a victim or witnessed a sexual assault police are asking you to call 807-684-1200 or online at at www.p3tips.com

—–With files from Adam Riley