A homeless Sarnia man facing more than a dozen sex charges linked to children has been released on lease, but is banned from being in parks and other places people under age 16 could be unless he’s with a responsible adult.
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Norman Hart, 49, of no fixed address is facing 13 charges in total, all of which have a date range between February and April and allegedly took place in Sarnia, court records show. The charges include four counts of sexual assault, four counts of sexual interference by touching a person under 14 with his body, four counts of sexual exploitation by being in a position of trust or authority, and one count of corrupting children, the documents say.
A publication ban is in place protecting the identity of the complainants and their names have been redacted from public court documents.
Wearing a black T-shirt and glasses with a shaved head and graying facial hair, Hart appeared in a Sarnia courtroom’s prisoner’s box Wednesday afternoon, where he was granted bail. Hart’s release order did not cost him any money, but it does ban him from contacting or being around the complainants and several other people linked to the case.
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Hart also can’t be in a public park, swimming area, daycare, school, playground or community center where people under 16 could be unless he’s in the company of a responsible adult. Additionally, he can’t be in a caregiving role for anyone under 16 or contact anyone he knows to be under 16. Finally, he’s banned from weapons.
A second publication ban was ordered Wednesday to protect anything said about the case during the bail hearing and the reasons, if anything, given by justice of the peace Debra Isaac to release Hart. He’s due back in court Nov. 26.
Hart Although is of no fixed address, according to court records, at one point he lived in Petrolia, according to his Facebook page. He went to high school there and worked at a local factory, his profile says.
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