good evening serious sexual assault allegations are once again putting Canada's game front and center with all eyes on London Ontario where a former member of Canada's world junior hockey team turned himself into police lawyers for Alex Bonton say he's one of several players facing charges ctv's Adrien griel starts us off a sexual assault claim that has rocked the foundation of Canada's game Alex F Menon rendered to London Police Services this morning the former Ottawa Senator is believed to be the first of five players from Canada's 2018 World Junior hockey team to turn himself in to face sexual assault allegations Fenton's lawyer confirms that the 24-year-old is one of several players facing charges a statement from his lawyer Daniel Brown says that Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and ask that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence there's International Spotlight on this for sure a glob and mail story this week first reported that the pending charges are connected to an alleged group sexual assault of a woman inside this upscale London Ontario hotel in June 2018 following a hockey Canada Gala a lawsuit filed in April of 2022 states that an alleged female victim met a group of young men at a bar following the gala and had consensual sex with one of the players she also alleges that afterwards seven others entered the room directed manipulated and intimidated her into remaining in the room where she says she was sexually assaulted I have concerns about the viability of this prosecution given the investigation that has been carried out to date the London Police Service was first made aware of the allegations just days after the alleged sexual assault took place in 2018 but at the time declined to lay any charges you believe another police force should be leading this investigation I do they are going going to be questions for sure uh throughout this trial I know as defense councel I would be on that a separate investigation into another sexual assault claim this time against Canada's 20022 2003 World Junior Team is also underway lawyer and victim Advocate Jillian natu believes the curtain needs to be pulled back on the culture of sport in Canada you believe there needs to be a national inquiry I do there is a real sort of endemic culture um when you have young athletes who uh this country exalts and will look the other way as long as they continue to uh produce the results in recent days five players from the 2018 World Junior Squad have taken a leave from their respective teams four from the NHL and formenton who now plays in Switzerland after a 109 game stint with the autoa Senators the identity of the other players involved in the allegations have yet to be confirmed by the authorities investigators won't be speaking publicly until February 5th the Monday after the NHL Allstar Weekend when asked why they're waiting so long the London Police Services declined to share a specific reason Heather ctv's Adrien gobrial in Toronto