Winnipeg man faces charges of sexual assault, luring involving teen girls; 2nd man also charged
Both men charged in January assault, 1 charged in connection with other assaults in August
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
Two men have been arrested and face numerous charges, including sexual assault, after an investigation that began last January found three teenage girls were taken to locations in the city and assaulted, Winnipeg police say.
The Winnipeg police sex crimes unit began the investigation in early January 2024, and learned a girl in her teens had been contacted by a 32-year-old man who arranged to meet with her, then drove her to a Winnipeg residence where she was sexually assaulted, police said in a Tuesday news release.
They say the same man, along with a 30-year-old man, met the teenager again on Jan. 9, 2024, and drove her to a hotel on Portage Avenue west of Ferry Road, where both men sexually assaulted her.
The investigation identified two men as suspects, and in mid-May, 30-year-old Ousama Alkhattab turned himself in to police.
Police say in late August, the 32-year-old suspect met with two other teenage girls — one of whom he had befriended on social media — and drove them to a downtown address, where they were sexually assaulted by two other men whom police haven't yet identified.
Those assaults were reported to police.
Last Thursday, officers located and arrested 32-year-old Abdelraheem Khatab.
He was charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference, as well as a charge of luring a person under 16 by telecommunications and supplying liquor to a minor.
Alkhattab has been charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference.
Both men were released on a court order prohibiting contact with individuals under 18, police said.
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.