The former pastor of a Canadian megachurch who was arrested in 2022 for sexual assault is now facing two additional charges of sexual assault, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Bruxy Cavey, the former teaching pastor at The Meeting House in Oakville, Ontario, was recently charged with two additional sexual assault counts, according to a report by CBC Hamilton.
Cavey is slated to appear in court later this month.
“It is unfortunate that a new and unrelated allegation has surfaced on the eve of Mr. Cavey’s trial,” said Megan Savard, lawyer for Cavey, as quoted by the CBC.
“Cavey maintains his innocence and will vigorously defend against the new charges in court. In the meantime, he remains focused on and committed to clearing his name at his upcoming trial.”
The Meeting House has several campuses and is affiliated with the Be In Christ Church of Canada, which traces its origins to the Anabaptist and Wesleyan movements.
A pastor and author of popular books like The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus, Cavey is credited with helping to grow the congregation into the megachurch.
In December 2021, an independent investigation commissioned by the church’s leadership to look into accusations of sexual misconduct found that Cavey had abused his power as a pastor.
The church announced in March 2022 that Cavey had resigned, with the board of overseers having “unanimously decided to ask Bruxy to resign from his role at The Meeting House effective immediately.”
“The investigator determined that Bruxy had maintained a sexual relationship with the victim, an adult woman, in violation of The Meeting House policy and the Handbook of Faith and Life of Be in Christ Church of Canada,” stated Maggie John, chair of the church’s overseers board, at the time.
“The investigator also found that what became a sexual relationship between Bruxy and the victim, which lasted over an extended period of time, constituted an abuse of Bruxy’s power and authority as a member of the clergy, and amounted to sexual harassment.”
Police arrested Hamilton in late May 2022, with authorities explaining in a statement at the time that they believed there might be more victims.
“Hamilton Police want all survivors of sexual violence to know that we believe them and we will respect their choice when and how they report an incident,” local authorities noted.
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