Durham Regional Police said on Tuesday that they have made an arrest in connection to a bizarre confinement room found inside an abandoned Pickering farmhouse.
Police believe the suspect is responsible for building what appeared to be a dungeon inside a farmhouse on Concession Road in northwest Pickering, and had planned to use it for a criminal purpose.
While police say they have determined what kind of crime the room was intended for, but would not discuss the matter publicly because of the potential to affect the victim or victims involved.
Police had previously said the room appeared designed to hold someone captive. There was no indication that a crime had been committed inside the room.
The home, which sits on property owned by the local airport, had been marked for demolition in late November when contractors found a recently-built "confinement room" inside.
The abandoned farmhouse burned to the ground earlier this year, in what local police and fire services described as a suspicious blaze. Police said on Tuesday that the fire is still under investigation.
Robert Edwin White, 44, of Oshawa, has been charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime.
He appeared in court on Tuesday and has been held for a bail hearing.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact the Durham Regional Police Major Crime Branch at 1-888-579-1520. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
