Toronto imam charged in 5 sex assaults

TORONTO, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A Toronto imam was in jail Thursday facing 13 charges of sexually assaulting five male and female victims since November 2008, Toronto Police said.

At a news conference Wednesday, Detective Karen Armstrong said Mohammad Masroor, 48, an assistant imam and a married father of two daughters and three sons was being held in jail until a court appearance Monday to face sexual assault and death threat charges, the Toronto Sun reported.

Armstrong said Masroor used his position as a teacher of the Koran in an east-end mosque and private homes "to his advantage," the Toronto Star reported.

Masroor is a native of Bangladesh and has travelled extensively before coming to Canada in 2008, police said. He has lived and taught in Florida, Michigan, France, Germany, Hungary, Singapore and Sri Lanka, and police said they would be contacting authorities in those states and countries.

Meanwhile, Armstrong made an appeal for any other Toronto victims to contact police.

"We understand in sexual assault investigations there is a reluctance to come forward and report the offences," Armstrong said.

Mosque member Iftikhar Khan told the Sun there was a sense of disbelief among fellow members.

"We can't accept, we can't. I really feel bad," he said. "This is the holy month [of Ramadan]."