A Sarnia man was arrested this week, charged with 20 counts linked to sex offences involving minors, and later released on $500 bail but with several strict rules in place, records show.
Jonathan Manning, 41, was arrested Sunday and charged with 10 counts of sexual interference and 10 counts of sexual exploitation, according to documents filed at the Sarnia courthouse. The alleged offences took place between January 2021 and March 2024, the documents say.
The identities of the complainant or complainants are redacted in the documents. They are also protected by a court-ordered publication ban.
Manning, wearing a sweater with a shaved head and a beard, appeared handcuffed in the prisoner’s box of the Sarnia courthouse’s bail court Monday afternoon. A second publication ban was ordered to protect any evidence heard about the case and anything said about the accused while in bail court.
He was later released on $500 bail, but can’t talk to any complainants or witnesses or go to where they live, work or go to school. He also can’t be alone with anyone under age 16 unless another adult is there.
Additionally, he can’t apply for a valid passport and has to stay in Canada while the charges are outstanding. Manning lives in Sarnia, but is originally from Basildon, a town in Essex, England, according to his Facebook page.
Additionally, he’s banned from weapons while out on bail. Manning is due back in court on March 13.
The charges haven’t been tested in court.
tbridge@postmedia.com