Three Sikh priests have been charged with sexually assaulting a child during the 1990s, Winnipeg police said Thursday.

Const. Jacqueline Chaput says the victim alleges the abuse started at a Winnipeg temple when he was eight years old, spanning June 1990 to January 1996. Police said he occasionally stayed at the temple during that time.

He came forward with his complaint last month, said Chaput.

Bakhshish Singh, 47, Kuljit Singh, 43, and Dalbag Singh, 37, all face charges of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching. Kuljit and Dalbag Singh are each additionally charged with anal intercourse.

The three were first arrested on Dec. 23. Chaput says there may be another suspect in the case.

Winnipeg's Sikh community reacted with shock Friday to the news of the charges against the religious leaders.

"The community is totally stunned by this," said Tej Bains, a retired social worker and activist.

"We are still in shock and there's a number of factors. First of all, we just don't talk about sexuality, and ... we really honour our priests."

Police say the sexual misconduct charges are linked with a separate incident last month. In mid-December, police said, two men in their 20s kidnapped and physically assaulted two priests from the same temple.

Police did not release the name of the temple, but local media have reported that it is Gurdwara Nanaksar in St. Vital.

The accused are part of a sect outside of mainstream Sikh religion in which religious leaders remain celibate.