Former pastor and wife charged with sexual assault against children

A former pastor and his wife were arrested on Tuesday after two women say they were sexually assaulted as minors, said York Regional Police.

The couple from Grimsby, Ont., 64-year-old Raymond Swash and 61-year-old Sandra Swash, face several historical sexual assault charges involving minors as young as 13 years old when they were members of the Banfield Memorial Church in North York, York police said Thursday.

Raymond was a youth pastor and youth leader at the church in the late 80s and early 90s, police said.

On June 10, a woman told York police she had repeatedly been sexually assaulted by both suspects when she was 13 years old in 1987, until she was 17 years old in 1990. Police say she attended the same church as the couple.

Another survivor from the same church came forward on June 28, police said. The second woman alleged she had been sexually assaulted by Raymond Swash when she was 13 and 14, from 1992 to 1993.

Investigators said they believe the two suspects were involved in several church groups throughout York Region, Hamilton and Niagara, and say they believe there may be more victims.

Police ask anyone with information to call them at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7071, or Crime stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

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