A 46-year-old Ottawa man has been charged with an additional 13 charges as part of a criminal harassment investigation that began in 2025, the
Ottawa Police Service
announced Wednesday.
The new charges against John Violette include criminal harassment, voyeurism, distribution of voyeuristic material and four offences related to child sexual abuse and exploitation material, the OPS said in a Feb. 18 news release.
The release said the suspect was alleged to have captured images and videos of women in public settings, primarily of their clothed buttocks. The victims were targeted particularly in shopping centres, on beaches and public transit and in restaurants, it added.
Police said some of the content had also been distributed to a 39-year-old man in the Waterloo region and voyeurism charges had been laid against that individual.
A photo of Violette was included with the Feb. 18 release, as well as a request that anyone with information about the case was asked to contact the OPS West Criminal Investigations Section at 613-236-1222, extension 2666. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or online at crimestoppers.ca.
In December,
Ottawa police announced criminal harassment charges
against Violette, saying that since July 2025 a series of posters targeting a female victim had been posted throughout a Bells Corners neighbourhood near Moodie Drive and Tyrell Place.
An investigation was launched by the West Criminal Investigations Section after the victim made a report to police, and on Dec. 4 conducted a search that resulted in charges of criminal harassment by repeated communication and criminal harassment by threatening conduct.
