Former volunteer cheerleading coach in Niagara Region charged in alleged sex assaults
A former volunteer cheerleading coach in the Niagara Region is accused of sexually assaulting two of his then-athletes multiple times more than a decade ago.
Police say they received information earlier this year about alleged sexual assaults dating back to 2009.
They say two female complainants reported being sexually assaulted on several occasions by the same suspect between that year and 2012.
Investigators say the suspect was an adult at the time, and serving as cheerleading coach for both complainants.
Police say 42-year-old Derek Ovenden of St. Catharines, Ont., was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexual assault, sexual interference and four counts of sexual exploitation.
They say he was a volunteer cheerleading coach at public high schools in the city before opening his own cheerleading gym called Cheer Empire Eagles.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2026.
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