Antigonish man charged for sexual assaults

ANTIGONISH: The RCMP have laid charges against a 52-year-old Antigonish man for sexual assault in relation to two separate alleged historical sexual assaults in Antigonish and Guysborough County between 2009 and 2015.

Stephen Lawrence Kirk has been released from custody on conditions that he doesn’t have contact with his accusers, whom police say he knows.

RCMP said the charges stem from incidents that allegedly involve a female in Guysborough County who was in her late teens at the time.

Kirk has also been charged with sexual assault in relation to an incident that occurred in 2016 in Antigonish County with a woman who was in her early 20’s.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and want the public to know that the police can help. Anyone who feels they could be a victim, or has questions, is encouraged to contact the RCMP at 902-863-6500 in Antigonish, or 902-533-3801 in Guysborough.

“”I can’t stress enough how important it is for the victims, even if they just even want a little bit of information, if they’re not ready to disclose — we’re more than happy to help them,” Cpl. Jennifer Clarke, an RCMP information officer said.

Kirk is scheduled to appear in Antigonish Provincial Court on August 12.

Drake Lowthers

Drake Lowthers has been a community journalist for The Reporter since July, 2018. His coverage of the suspicious death of Cassidy Bernard garnered him a 2018 Atlantic Journalism Award and a 2019 Better Newspaper Competition Award; while his extensive coverage of the Lionel Desmond Fatality Inquiry received a second place finish nationally in the 2020 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards for Best Feature Series. A Nova Scotia native, who has called Antigonish home for the past decade, Lowthers has a strong passion in telling people’s stories in a creative, yet thought-provoking way. He graduated from the journalism program at Holland College in 2016, where he played varsity football with the Hurricanes. His simple pleasures in life include his two children, photography, live music and the local sports scene.

Previous articleGuysborough County bridge collapse under investigation
Next articleNSHA announces temporary resolution for local emergency departments
Drake Lowthers has been a community journalist for The Reporter since July, 2018. His coverage of the suspicious death of Cassidy Bernard garnered him a 2018 Atlantic Journalism Award and a 2019 Better Newspaper Competition Award; while his extensive coverage of the Lionel Desmond Fatality Inquiry received a second place finish nationally in the 2020 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards for Best Feature Series. A Nova Scotia native, who has called Antigonish home for the past decade, Lowthers has a strong passion in telling people’s stories in a creative, yet thought-provoking way. He graduated from the journalism program at Holland College in 2016, where he played varsity football with the Hurricanes. His simple pleasures in life include his two children, photography, live music and the local sports scene.