The man arrested in connection with Tuesday's abduction of an 11-year-old British Columbia girl has been charged with kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.
'It is a very, very serious charge,' says RCMP Corporal Henry Proce. (CBC)
Paul Robert Lepage, 55, was scheduled to appear in court on Friday afternoon.
RCMP Cpl. Henry Proce said Lepage has an extensive criminal record, but did not elaborate.
Earlier, police said the suspect was homeless at the time of the incident, and described him as a transient.
Proce described aggravated sexual assault as "one of the most serious charges we can have. It is inherently violent. It is a very, very serious charge," he said.
"The community is very traumatized. With this sexual assault, a lot of people's worst-case scenarios are coming true."
Arrest followed major hunt
Lepage was arrested early Thursday morning following a massive police search for the girl in the North Okanagan community of Armstrong.
She had disappeared Tuesday while returning home from a local video store.
On Tuesday night, police found her scooter, the movie she had rented and some personal belongings not far from the store.
Police dogs and an RCMP helicopter were called in for the search.
Lepage was arrested early Thursday following a tip from the public. The girl was rescued a short time later.
She was taken to hospital in nearby Vernon for treatment. She has since been released, and is at home with her family.
Relative expresses gratitude to searchers
Speaking before the charges were announced, the girl's great-aunt expressed the family's gratitude to the hundreds of people who helped look for her.
"It goes without saying, there's a lot of excitement to find your daughter alive," the woman said, referring to the girl's parents. "I'm sure it's a relief, and a relief to the community."
She said the victim had been traumatized by her experience, but was doing surprisingly well.
"As far as I know, [she] is doing fine," the woman said.
"I don't think it will change [her] family, except there is more fear after something like this happens to your daughter."