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Wrong man arrested in sex assault of 9-year-old Surrey girl

Surrey RCMP have now charged Chilliwack's Cory Schaumleffel in August kidnapping and attack.
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Surrey police say they arrested and charged the wrong man in the nighttime sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl in August.

On Sept. 2, police arrested Donovan Christopher Adams, of no fixed address, for the crime and charged him with break and enter and committing an indecent act.

Police now say they had the wrong man and have arrested Chilliwack's Cory Schaumleffel, 28 in connection with the girl's attack.

He has been charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual interference, committing an indecent act and break and enter with intent.

He appeared in Surrey Provincial Court on Wednesday and is being held in custody.

On Aug. 27 the girl was lured out of her window and taken to a nearby park, where she was sexually assaulted. She was then taken to a nearby yard, where she was told by the attacker to remain until he left. The child complied, but then ran home.

Adams was originally arrested after he confessed shortly after the crime.

Surrey RCMP Supt. Trent Rolfe said it became clear Adams admitted to something he didn't do.

"Despite Mr. Adams' comments implicating himself, the physical evidence did not confirm this and actually led investigation in another direction," Rolfe said in a release. "As more evidence was unearthed, it became apparent that Mr. Adams had confessed to a crime he did not commit."

Late last week, RCMP applied for a stay of proceedings, dropping all charges against Adams.

While the investigation unfolded, forensic evidence indicated Schaumleffel might be involved in the incident.

On Sept. 13 he was arrested in another jurisdiction on an unrelated matter and was either held in custody or under house arrest until he was re-arrested on Oct. 13 by the Surrey RCMP.