School-aged girls followed, man charged: London police

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A London man charged with harassment after police say two school-aged girls were followed was under a probation order that prohibited him from coming in contact with young women, court records show.

A suspicious person was spotted in the area of Southcrest Drive and Base Line Road West, a residential area near London’s Kensal Park neighbourhood, on June 16 about 2:30 p.m. A man driving a red Mitsubishi sport utility vehicle was watching and following a school-aged girl riding a bike through the neighbourhood, police said.

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Officers searched the area and located the vehicle, police said.

Several days later, on June 20 at about 8 p.m., a man matching the same description and driving a red Mitsubishi SUV in the area of Andover Drive and Viscount Road – in the city’s Westmount neighbourhood – was watching and following a second school-aged girl riding a scooter, police said.

A suspect was arrested on June 21 near Highview Avenue and Wharncliffe Road, police said.

Johannes Wilhelmus Laning, 48, is charged with two counts of criminal harassment by watching or besetting and two counts of breach of probation, police said Tuesday.

According to court documents, the breach of probation counts stem from a 2023 order imposed by a judge that prohibits Laning, who remained in custody, from being “in the company of or communicate, directly or indirectly . . . with females under the age of 16” unless he is in the company of another person authorized by his parole officer.

News reports from 2020 show a 44-year-old man with the same name was charged that year with one count of criminal harassment after a man was seen watching and following a school-aged girl in a neighbourhood in the city’s southwest end. Court records about that case were not available.

Investigators believe there may be additional complainants and are asking people to contact the London police major crime section at 519-661-6570 if they have any information, or if they had similar dealings.

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