VICTORIA -- Steven Bacon, a person of interest in the murder of a Nanaimo teen, is facing sex charges in Thunder Bay.
Bacon, 60, is considered a person of interest in the murder of Makayla Chang, 16, who was found dead in 2017.
According to the Thunder Bay courthouse, Bacon is now facing charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, sexual exploitation and incest. The four charges are alleged to have happened in Ontario between 1996 and 2004.
The charges were first sworn against Bacon on Sept. 11, 2017, at which point a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Two years later, on Sept. 26, 2019, Bacon was located and arrested in Ontario. He had a number of court appearances throughout the fall of 2019, and on Oct. 1 the Ontario court was informed that there were additional charges pending from B.C.
News of Bacon's arrest was first shared on Vancouver Island on Jan. 3, when the Nanaimo RCMP confirmed that he was arrested on charges unrelated to their investigation. At the time, Mounties were unable to comment on the nature of his arrest, or where he was arrested.
While Bacon was not named a suspect in the investigation, in August 2019 the Nanaimo RCMP issued a Canada-wide appeal for information on his whereabouts. Shortly after Chang's remains were found in 2017, police searched Bacon's home and property.
At the time, Mounties said that Bacon was a friend of Chang's, and that she sometimes stayed at his home.
Bacon is expected to appear in Thunder Bay court on March 16.
On Tuesday, Chang's father, Kerry Chang, told CTV News that he was relieved police had found Bacon, but was disappointed that no charges had been laid in connection to the death of his daughter.
While he waits for a resolution into the investigation, Chang said that he is thankful for the support that has poured in from the island community and beyond over the past two years.
"It’s been an emotional journey for sure, for a lot of people outside of our family," said Chang on Tuesday. "I want to thank the community and everyone who has supported us."
