Former educational assistant now accused of sexually assaulting 17 men and boys

A now-former educational assistant from Ottawa who was first charged with three counts of sexual assault and interference is now facing more than 40 new charges against 14 more people.

The list of charges against 32-year-old Kevan Henshaw now comes to about 50. They're related to alleged crimes involving 17 boys and men.

In a Friday morning news release, Ottawa police allege the crimes began in January 2022, months earlier than the original September 2022 timeline they put forward when Henshaw was arrested in January.

Their investigation began in November 2023. Police say the alleged crimes ended in January 2024, the same month Henshaw was first charged.

Investigators with the sexual assault and child abuse unit still believe there could be other victims in Ottawa and Nova Scotia where Henshaw worked with youth, the release said.

The charges announced Friday allegedly involved crimes against 14 males ranging in age from 13 to 20, police said.

Henshaw now faces:

• 16 counts of sexual assault.

• 12 counts of sexual interference with a person under 16 years old.

• Five counts of luring a child under 16 years old by telecommunication.

• Five counts of unlawfully possessing child pornography.

• Four counts of making child pornography.

• Four counts of inviting someone under 16 years old to sexually touch someone.

• Two counts of sexually exploiting a young person.

• One count of unlawfully accessing child pornography.

Police also laid several new charges against Henshaw for incidents where people were allegedly being secretly recorded, although they did not specify how many in their news release.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board said in January that Henshaw, who'd been working for the board on a casual basis, was prevented from working in its schools in November 2023 when it became aware of a complaint "in relation to his interaction with students."

In an emailed statement Friday, spokesperson Darcy Knoll wrote that "the employment relationship was then terminated."

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database.

If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.