Ontario Provincial Police have announced the arrest and charging of a man from British Columbia in connection with a series of violent sexual assaults that occurred almost three decades ago in southwestern Ontario. The arrest of 52-year-old Jason Timothy Davidson of Campbell River was made following a multi-jurisdictional investigation known as Project Aerial, conducted in collaboration with Sarnia police.
Davidson is facing a total of 15 charges, including aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, forcible confinement, and uttering threats. The assaults, which occurred between March and August 1997 in Lambton County, Kent County, and the City of Sarnia, involved four separate incidents, with three of the victims being minors at the time.
The specific details of each assault are as follows:
– On March 26, 1997, a teenage girl was abducted in Sarnia and sexually assaulted in a rural area in Sombra Township.
– On May 23, 1997, another teenage girl was picked up near Highway 21 in Thamesville and assaulted in a wooded area.
– On June 7, 1997, an adult woman was sexually assaulted after being picked up on Campbell Street in Sarnia.
– On August 20, 1997, a young girl was abducted on Grand Avenue West in Chatham and assaulted in Dover Township, Kent County.
In all four cases, the suspect drove away after the assaults, leaving the victims at the scene. The investigation, overseen by Det. Insp. Michael Moore, revealed that despite being initially investigated separately, similarities in the attacks and suspect descriptions eventually led authorities to link the cases.
The suspect, described as a white man in his 30s with specific physical features, remained unidentified for years until advancements in DNA technology and forensic analysis in 2024 linked all four assaults to a single individual. Jason Timothy Davidson was apprehended in Campbell River with the assistance of the RCMP and Vancouver police and subsequently brought back to Ontario.
Det. Insp. Moore emphasized the significance of the arrest, acknowledging the persistence and commitment of investigators over the years. Davidson is currently in custody and appeared in court in Chatham, with a scheduled court appearance on November 7. Authorities urge anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.