An Edmonton-born Orthodox archbishop with ties to Ponoka has been charged with sexual assault by Winnipeg police.
Kenneth Storheim, was charged with two counts of sexual assault alleged to have occurred in the mid-1980s at a Winnipeg church. Police began an investigation into historical allegations in July, issuing a warrant for his arrest Nov. 16.
Storheim, 64, is the Canadian head of the Orthodox Church in America. In October, he requested a leave of absence from his position after Winnipeg police launched their investigation. Storheim turned himself in to Winnipeg police Nov. 24. He was released on recognizance and will appear in a Winnipeg court at a later date.
Storheim is based in the eastern Ontario rural community of Spencerville.
Before converting to the Orthodox faith — when he took the name Seraphim — Storheim was an Anglican priest, spending two years at Christ Church in Edmonton and four years at St. Mary’s in Ponoka.