Sunshine Coast resident Donald Hensler, 82, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault.
"Two separate [alleged] incidents and two separate victims," RCMP Cpl. Kris Josephson said when describing details on how the charges came about.
The alleged incidents, Josephson said, originated from a support group based in Gibsons. According to police, Hensler was a member of the group, and the two alleged female victims were new members.
Court information states that one incident allegedly occurred on or about Oct. 20, 2009 and a second between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2008.
Hensler appeared in Sech-elt provincial court Wed-nes-day, Nov. 25. His court appearance was adjourned to Dec. 16 to give him time to seek legal advice.
The court has set conditions which bar Hensler from contacting the alleged victims. There is also a ban on disclosure under section 486.4(2) of the criminal code that prohibits the reporting of the alleged victims names or anything that may identify them.
"Current conditions do protect both those [alleged] victims from being contacted in any way, shape or form, or for [Hensler] to attend meetings if [the alleged victims] choose to go," he said.
He said the alleged incidents fall on the less severe end of the spectrum of the sexual assault designation.
"It would be on the minor end of it, touching and inappropriate physical contact," Josephson said. "But the concern, of course, was the state people are in when they do go to these [support group] meetings and the potential for the courts to possibly view [Hensler] as a person in authority."
