> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecanadareport.ca/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Southern Ontario Jury Convicts Toronto Man on 17 Child Assault Charges - URL: https://www.thecanadareport.ca/richard-neil-guilty-ontario/ - Published: 2026-11-13T19:48:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-13T19:48:00.000Z - Description: Richard Neil was found guilty on all 17 charges tied to three child assaults in southern Ontario parks decades ago. - Author: Steve Cogbill - Tags: Daily News, Ontario *Sourced from 2 news outlets · most facts from statements · no points in dispute.* [*How we sourced this*](https://www.thecanadareport.ca/richard-neil-guilty-ontario/#how-we-sourced-this-story) A jury has found Toronto man Richard Neil, 67, guilty on all 17 charges, including kidnapping and sexual assault, in connection with three attacks on children in southern Ontario public parks in 1992, 1994 and 1995. **Key facts** - In 1992, an 8-year-old boy was attacked at Idlewood Park in Kitchener, and the court heard the child was lured into a wooded area, tied up, raped by a stranger, and forced to drink the assailant's urine. - In 1994, a 10-year-old boy was attacked at Norton Place Park in Brampton, and the court heard the child was lured into a wooded area, tied up, raped by a stranger, and forced to drink the assailant's urine. - In 1995, a 15-year-old girl was attacked at Wildwood Park in Oakville, and the court heard the child was tied up, raped by a stranger, and forced to drink the assailant's urine. - DNA linked the same unknown suspect to all three crime scenes, fingerprints from an Oakville park also matched Richard Neil, and the evidence contributed to his arrest in 2024. Read the original document: [Government of Canada](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/contact-us/sexual-misconduct-response-centre.html?ref=thecanadareport.ca), linked by CTV News. According to [CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/richard-neil-woodland-verdict-9.7409563?ref=thecanadareport.ca), the jury deliberated for less than four hours before unanimously accepting the Crown’s version of events. ## Three attacks in public parks The attacks occurred in Kitchener, Brampton and Oakville, each involving a child assaulted by a stranger. In 1992, an eight-year-old boy was attacked at Idlewood Park in Kitchener. The court heard he was lured into a wooded area, tied up, raped and forced to drink his assailant’s urine. A 10-year-old boy was attacked at Norton Place Park in Brampton in 1994. The third attack occurred at Wildwood Park in Oakville in 1995, involving a 15-year-old girl. The court heard the Oakville attack lasted five hours. ## DNA linked the crime scenes DNA evidence linked the same unknown suspect to all three crime scenes. Fingerprints from the Oakville park also matched Neil, evidence that contributed to his arrest in 2024. Crown attorney Shazin Karim told the court that police identified Neil as a suspect in recent years through U.S.-based genetic genealogy. According to CBC News, investigators compared crime-scene DNA with genetic data connected to a direct-to-consumer ancestry website. The method offered a breakthrough after decades without an identified suspect. ## Neil denied being attacker Neil testified that he had an interest in urine drinking as a fetish, but said he had only engaged in it with consenting adults. He denied being the perpetrator of the assaults. During the trial, the Crown described the evidence against him as overwhelming. ## Reactions to the verdict and sentencing Retired Halton Regional Police Det. Sgt. Graham Barnes told CBC News the verdict brought mixed emotions. “There’s some relief of course, mixed with a little bit of disappointment that we couldn’t catch him at the time,” Barnes said. One victim told CBC News he was “shaking” when informed of Neil’s arrest, describing an initial feeling of joy followed by sadness as memories of the attack returned. Neil was to be sentenced at a later date, CBC News reported. ## What we don't know yet - The reports do not provide a sentencing date for Richard Neil. - The reports say police announced there may be more victims, but they do not say whether any additional victims were confirmed. ## How outlets covered it - **CTV News** (Bell Media) — [“Richard Neil found guilty on 17 charges, including sexual assault of three young children”](https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/kitchener/article/richard-neil-found-guilty-on-17-charges-including-sexual-assault-of-three-young-children/?ref=thecanadareport.ca), Nov. 13, 2026\. By Krista Simpson. Quoted Crown; Richard Neil. Not in the other reports here: Justice Juganovic charging the jury on Thursday. - **CBC News** (CBC/Radio-Canada) — [“Richard Neil found guilty in 1990s 'woodland rapist' cold case”](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/richard-neil-woodland-verdict-9.7409563?ref=thecanadareport.ca), Nov. 13, 2026\. By Thomas Daigle. Led with the end of a three-decade search for the “woodland rapist”. Quoted retired Halton Regional Police Det. Sgt. Graham Barnes; Crown attorney Shazin Karim; victim who was 10 when he was assaulted; Richard Neil. Not in the other reports here: genetic genealogy analysis conducted in the United States; the jury deliberating for less than four hours. **Reader-funded. No ads. No paywall.** The Canada Report is independent, reader-funded Canadian news — no advertisers, nothing behind a paywall, kept free for everyone. If you value it, you can help keep it that way. [Support The Canada Report →](https://www.thecanadareport.ca/support/) --- ## How we sourced this story | Most key facts come from statements by Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Shazin Karim and Richard Neil, as reported by 2 news outlets. Outlets repeating the same statements do not confirm them independently. | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 10 key facts · 0 independently corroborated · 10 from statements or releases · none disputed Allegations described here are not proven in court unless stated. *How we put this together: we compare reporting from the outlets above, draft with the help of AI tools, and an editor checks every story before it's published.* [*Our methodology*](https://www.thecanadareport.ca/methodology/)*.* ## Sign up for The Canada Report Subscribe Email sent! 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