Hamilton police say eight people have been arrested in a massive investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl, including the child's mother and her boyfriend.
Police say the investigation, named Project Links, was launched in early May after the force receiving a tip from the Catholic Children's Aid Society in Hamilton.
They say officers interviewed the girl and she told them she was being sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend.
The man, who police have not identified, was arrested and is charged with 40 counts, that include sexual assault, sexual interference, making and possessing child pornography.
LIVE on #Periscope: Project Links Child Abuse https://t.co/OWaaoJub3s
— Hamilton Police (@HamiltonPolice) November 17, 2016
Police allege further investigation found the girl had been sexually assaulted by more than one person.
They say four other people were arrested, including two men from Hamilton aged 36 and 50, and two people from Waterloo — a 38-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman.
They face charges related to sexual assault, sexual interference and making and possessing child pornography.
The seven-year-old girl's mother — a 39-year-old woman from Hamilton — was also arrested and charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life to a child.
