**** HRP Media Release
Police lay charges in relation to historical sexual assault
Investigators with the Special Victims Section of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division have charged a man in relation to a historical sexual assault.
Police began an investigation in August 2023 after receiving a report of a historical sexual assault that occurred in 2021 at a school in Dartmouth. Investigators charged Matthew Douglas Moriarty, 42, with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation. The sexual assault survivor was a youth at the time of the incident and Moriarty was in a position of trust in relation to the survivor, as a teacher. We are not releasing any further details to protect the identity of the survivor.
On November 9, investigators arrested Moriarty without incident at Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Gottingen Street. He is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth provincial court at a later date.
Investigators want sexual assault survivors to know they will not be judged, and will be treated with compassion, dignity and respect throughout the entire investigative process. Sexual assault investigations are complex. As part of our victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to sexualized violence, we work closely with sexual assault survivors to ensure they’re willing to proceed with a police investigation. Police must also ensure the survivors’ privacy is upheld and well-being is fully considered.
