Pedophiles and Perverts List for Canada Involves some Community Leaders

Ex BC Councillor's husband investigated for CSA - Toronto
FLDS leader and wife convicted in child bride case - Bountiful, B.C.
Manitoba businessman charged with historical CSA - Souris
'Order of Canada' gay rights pastor acquitted of CSA - Nova Scotia
Parents trafficked own child to pedophiles - Toronto

Ontario police probe sexual abuse allegations against former B.C. councillor's husband

Peel Regional Police say they will 'speak to witnesses and gather evidence'

By Kamil Karamali, CBC News

A criminal investigation is now underway into the alleged sexual abuse of a former Village of Lions Bay councillor's daughter.

Eileen Wilke resigned from her role as councillor of the small town south of Squamish this week — after it came to light that she was suing her daughter for speaking publicly about the alleged sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepfather.

"The investigators will speak to the complainants, speak to witnesses, gather as much evidence as they can, in order for them to make a determination to what the actual complaint is to see if there's grounds to move forward or not," said Sgt. Josh Colley of Peel Regional Police.

Sgt. Colley said a criminal investigation was opened Dec. 19 after a report was made to police. Police would not say who made the report.

"Once everything is reviewed and analysed as a whole, that will determine whether there are grounds to lay charges," Colley said in an interview.

Daughter can't find peace

A civil claim states that Wilke's daughter, Sherri Ann Thomson, took her mother and stepfather to civil court in 1994, alleging she "suffered years of sexual, physical and psychological abuse." 

The two parties reached a settlement two years later, the claim states, when Thomson agreed not to discuss the allegations with anyone except for a few people, namely family members and close friends who were also not friends of the Wilkes. 

Thomson said the news that her mother has now given in to public pressure and stepped down from her role as councillor doesn't give her much peace.

"It didn't sound like remorse," she said. "It didn't do anything for my soul, she did it for process."

Bountiful, B.C.'s Brandon and Gail Blackmore convicted

 in child bride case

A former couple from Bountiful, B.C., found guilty of taking girl, 13, into U.S. for marriage to church leader

By Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press 

Brandon Blackmore arrives at the courthouse in Cranbrook, B.C., Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

A former couple from the polygamous community of Bountiful, B.C., has been found guilty of taking a 13-year-old girl into the United States to marry the now imprisoned leader of the sect that practises plural marriage.

Justice Paul Pearlman of the B.C. Supreme Court found former husband and wife Brandon Blackmore and Gail Blackmore guilty of the charge of taking a girl across the border for a sexual purpose in 2004. 

He found James Oler not guilty of the same charge, saying he couldn't prove that the man crossed the border in 2004 with a 15-year-old girl who was later married to a member of the polygamous church.

Gail Blackmore leaves the courthouse in Cranbrook, B.C., Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

The Blackmores will be sentenced, April 13.

The court in Cranbrook, B.C., heard during their trial late last year about the polygamous beliefs and practices in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

The three, who are or have been members of the church, are connected to the community of Bountiful in southeastern British Columbia, where the trial heard plural marriage was practised.

Girl married to 60-year-old: records

The charges against the Blackmores centred on records that show the 13-year-old girl was married to Warren Jeffs, the 60-year-old church prophet, now serving a life sentence in Texas.

Oler was accused of bringing the 15-year-old girl across the border to marry James Leroy Johnson, who was 24 at the time of the marriage.

Much of the evidence heard in the judge-only trial came about as a result of a U.S. investigation into Jeffs.

Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting two underage followers he took as brides in what his church deemed "spiritual marriages." (Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)

Special prosecutor Peter Wilson drew on records found locked away in a Texas ranch during the trial in an effort to prove the girls' marriages took place within days of the accused receiving instructions from Jeffs.

Wilson also focused much of his case on how sex and marriage were viewed in the church. The court heard from former members who said women were expected to obey their fathers and husbands, have as many children as possible and never turn away their husbands' sexual advances.

Brandon Blackmore's lawyer John Gustafson told the judge in his closing submissions that the prosecution failed to prove his client transported the girl across the border or that he knew beforehand that sexual contact with an older man would result.

Gail Blackmore and Oler did not have a lawyer during the trial, so an impartial adviser was appointed to assist the court and provide balance. They did not give opening or closing arguments for themselves.

Souris man charged with 3 counts of gross indecency

dating back decades

Sheldon Kennedy, from nearby Elkhorn, says he understands why coming forward in small town is difficult

CBC News 

A Souris, Man. man was to make his first court appearance in Brandon today after being charged with three counts of gross indecency that date back to alleged offences in the 1980s. (Riley Laychuk/CBC)

A prominent member of the business community in Souris, Man. has been charged with three counts of gross indecency.

The charge of gross indecency doesn't exist any more, but the alleged incidents go back to the 1980s, when the charge was still on the books. 

The Ontario Court of Appeal in 1974 described gross indecency as "the marked departure from the decent conduct expected of the average Canadian in the circumstances."

Two of the charges the Souris man faces are related to incidents alleged to have occurred between August 1981 and August 1984. The other is alleged to have happened in 1986 or 1987.

"It's very shocking. I'm shocked by these allegations because it's just come out of the blue," said Darryl Jackson, the mayor of Souris. "There was never a hint of this coming to me before."

Jackson has lived in the community of around 1,800 people for 36 years. He said he believes most people in the community weren't aware of the alleged abuse or the charges.

He said the accused was a friend of his.

'Make visible the invisible': Sheldon Kennedy

It doesn't surprise Sheldon Kennedy that Souris residents didn't hear about the allegations until the charges were made public. 

"It's very common," said the advocate for victims of child sexual abuse. "A lot of times these investigations are happening and not everybody knows about them. We need to make visible the invisible."

The former NHL star is from the nearby town of Elkhorn, so he understands why it may have been difficult to come forward in the small town in the 1980s. 

"And I think that in those towns a lot of times if you're a kid and this is happening, a lot of times it's a person in power. The kids are feeling, 'Well who's going to believe me?' And who knows how many cases before this case where kids did try to tell their story and they got squashed," he said. 

But Kennedy said he couldn't heal from sexual abuse suffered at the hands of his hockey coach, Graham James, until he came forward. 

"I think the difficulty for [the victims of sex abuse] is trying to live for so long without feeling safe enough to come forward," he said.

"Because a lot of times, and I know in my case I couldn't take the way I felt anymore. Having my daughter coming into our life was a huge contributor to me telling my story. Because I know that I'll never be the dad or the person I want to be unless I actually deal with this stuff."

Toronto pastor Brent Hawkes found not guilty

of sex crimes in Nova Scotia

Judge acquits on charges of gross indecency and indecent assault

CBC News 

Brent Hawkes was found not guilty on Tuesday of indecent assault and gross indecency in a case the dealt with allegations dating to the 1970s. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press)

A Nova Scotia judge has found prominent Toronto pastor Brent Hawkes not guilty of sex crimes dating back to the 1970s. 

Hawkes, a high-profile LGBT and human rights activist who officiated at former NDP leader Jack Layton's state funeral in 2011, pleaded not guilty to charges of gross indecency and indecent assault.

As Judge Alan Tufts acquitted 66-year-old Hawkes Tuesday in Kentville provincial court, there were gasps in the packed courtroom and brief applause.

Tufts said the complainant in the case gave "vivid testimony" during the trial, but it was contradicted by other evidence. He said the testimony was not reliable enough to support a conviction.

The judge also said he didn't believe all of Hawkes's testimony, but the onus was on the Crown to prove its case.

'Glad that this is over'

Outside court, Hawkes made a brief statement thanking his family, friends, lawyers and the judge. 

"I am so glad that this is over so I can return home and serve my church and my community as best that I can," he said.

He did not take questions from the media. His lawyer, Clayton Ruby, said it was a "good hearing with a good judge." Hawkes, he said, can now "continue the selfless work that has shaped his contribution to society for over 40 years." 

The allegations against Hawkes date back to 1976, when he was a teacher in his 20s in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.

His trial heard emotional testimony from a middle-aged man who said Hawkes led him down a hallway naked during a drunken get-together at his trailer and forced oral sex on him in a bedroom when he was about 16 years old.

Hawkes denied the allegations during testimony in November.

Complainant had 'healthy attitude'

Prosecutor Bob Morrison said the Crown intends to review the judge's 53-page decision in detail before deciding whether to appeal.

The police investigation was thorough, he said, and the complainant had a "very healthy attitude."

"He is aware that these historical sexual assault cases are difficult and so he was prepared for any outcome," Morrison said.

"His attitude, and I thought it was a really healthy one, was: 'I'm going to come forward, I'm going to say what happened to me, I'm going to tell the truth and leave the rest up to the judge.'"

Church pleased with ruling

Originally from Bath, N.B., Hawkes has been a senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto for years.

In a statement, the church said it was pleased with Tuesday's court decision.

"Our support for Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes as a man of the highest integrity has never wavered, based on our 40 wonderful years of experience with him as our senior pastor," said Anne Brayley, the church's vice-moderator and board chair.

Considered one of the spiritual leaders of Toronto's gay community, he is also known as a vocal proponent of same-sex marriage and in 2007 was appointed to the Order of Canada.

'Probability' there was sexual activity

In his decision, Tufts said a "great deal" of Hawkes's testimony at trial was contradicted by other witnesses and he did not believe the accused.

But while there was a "likelihood or even a probability" that some sexual activity happened in the bedroom, the judge said he was not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.

He said the complainant was intoxicated that night, and his testimony did not add up in key places with that of two witnesses and other evidence.

"We simply do not know how much is his true memory of what he actually recalled as opposed to what he may have recreated or reconstructed," Tufts said.

"I say this with the greatest respect to [the complainant] because I do not want to diminish the real pain I witnessed when he testified."

Gee. I wonder where that real pain came from? Probably just 'made it up', I guess.

He noted that when the man was interviewed by police, he simply read what he had prepared for his therapy sessions. Tufts said his therapy sessions were understandably centred around how he felt, rather than the accuracy of his account.

Parents trafficked their own child to pedophiles

BY CHRIS DOUCETTE, TORONTO SUN

Jacquelyn Laronde (centre), who was at one time known as Sean O’Toole (left), and Martin Galloway are accused of sexually abusing a child more than a decade ago in London, Ont. 

Two men, one of whom now lives as a woman, are accused of sexually abusing a child more than a decade ago in London, Ont.

And Toronto Police allege the encounters were arranged through the young victim’s parents.

“This is part of a Toronto Police-led investigation that began just over a year ago and is still ongoing,” spokesman Meaghan Gray said Thursday, adding six other suspects have previously been charged.

She said the latest charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred 12 to 14 years ago.

Two men allegedly made arrangements to sexually abuse a child, Gray explained, not revealing the victim’s gender and only saying the child was under 16 at the time.

“These arrangements were (allegedly) made online with the child’s parents,” she said. “The two men attended an address in London, Ont., for this purpose.”

Officers from Toronto’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit, with help from London Police, executed a search warrant on Jan. 25.

Martin Galloway, 56, was arrested and charged with one count each of sexual assault and sexual interference.

The London resident was allegedly known as “Scotdom” and “Mr. Scotdom” and used the email address of Scotdom@hotmail.com.

Toronto cops, with help from Kingston police, made another arrest Wednesday.

Jacquelyn Laronde, 46, of Kingston, is charged with one count each of sexual assault and sexual interference.

“Online, Jacquelyn Laronde was known by lfesavr@hotmail.com,” Gray said. “At the time of the alleged assault, she was known as Sean O’Toole.”

She said four of the six suspects previously arrested face similar charges.

The other two accused are the child’s parents, whose charges were not released.

In order to protect the victim’s identity, Gray said the parents’ names have also not been released.

Investigators believe there may be other suspects who have yet to be identified, she said.

Full Parole for Graham James Shows 'Canada is the Disneyland for Pedophiles,' Theo Fleury Says

Full parole for one of Canada's most prolific pedophiles is just one sign that Canada doesn't get it when it comes to child sex abuse. It won't be until politicians, the media, and justice providers stop and think about what it means for 1-in-4, or 1-in-5 children in Canada to suffer sex abuse before anything will be done to address this, the worst atrocity Canada has ever seen. They need to understand the devastating consequences to the victims that usually last through the rest of their life.
We so desperately need a Royal Commission into child sex abuse in this country. 

Ex-NHL star's criminal complaint led to latest prison sentence

for repeat sex offender

By John Gibson, CBC News

Theo Fleury says the parole board's decision to grant Graham James full parole re-victimizes those who have experienced sexual abuse. (John Woods/Canadian Press|Chanss Lagaden/CBC)

Former Calgary Flames star Theo Fleury slams a decision by the Parole Board of Canada to release convicted sex offender Graham James on full parole.

James was convicted and sentenced to seven years in 2012 for repeatedly assaulting Fleury and his cousin, Todd Holt, when they played for him in the WHL (Western Hockey League).

The former hockey coach had already been living in a halfway house in Montreal since being granted partial parole in January. Full parole was granted Thursday.

"At this point we as the one in four who experience sexual abuse in our lifetime are left to once again be revictimized by the system, media included," Fleury said in a written release.


Former Calgary Flames player and child abuse survivor and advocate Sheldon Kennedy says he doubts repeat offender Graham James is fully rehabilitated. (James Young/CBC)

"Today as I am speaking to three high schools in Vernon, B.C., I will be reminded that my path and our path should be focused on healing. What we are missing here is that trauma, mental health and addictions should be the main focus of the media's attention; not that another offender manipulated the consequences of their offences."

At his parole board hearing in Laval, Que., the panel told James he must not have contact with anyone under 18, and that he must not communicate with his victims or their families, nor take on any employment or volunteer work involving minors.

James pardoned before latest conviction 

James had nearly completed an earlier, five-year sentence in 2015 for sex-related charges connected to five players during his time as a coach in the Western Hockey League when he pleaded guilty to a sexual assault involving a player who has not been identified.

He was sentenced to two years for that assault, which took place between 1990 and 1991, when James was with the Swift Current Broncos in Saskatchewan. That time was tacked on to the sentence he was already serving.

In 1997, James was sentenced to 3½ years after he pleaded guilty to 300 counts of abuse against Sheldon Kennedy, who had played for him and went on to an NHL career, and 50 counts against another player.

This is just astonishing!  A 5 year sentence for sexually abusing 5 players = 1 year for each player; 2 years for sexually assaulting another player; then, previously, he was sentenced to 3.5 years for 350 counts of child sex abuse against Sheldon Kennedy and one other player. That equals 3.65 days for each sexual assault on a child. 

I realize the sentencing judge is restricted by sentencing rules in place at the time of the abuses, but 3.65 days for a serious act of child sex abuse? That's insane! And then he probably actually spent less than 2 days in prison for each offence. It appears that the judge had a lot more sympathy for the pedophile than for his victims. No wonder Fleury calls Canada 'Disneyland for pedophiles'.
This has got to change.

3.65 days for each of 350 acts of child sex assault

"I do not believe that he's changed. I believe that he will reoffend," Kennedy told CBC News after the parole board's decision on Thursday.

  'That drives me crazy,' says Sheldon Kennedy upon hearing of Graham James' full parole  1:03

Kennedy, who now runs the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, said it demonstrates once again that Canada is failing to tackle the problem of sexual abuse of children. 

He said while rehabilitation and reintegration are important, parole should not be granted to sex offenders who haven't demonstrated complete commitment to their treatment programs, which he doubts in the case of James.

"I think we're really missing the mark on the impact and also the length of time that it might take an individual to rehabilitate," he said.

"Because, in a controlled environment, such as jail, or a treatment centre, you can say all the right things, and do what you need to do to get out. But it's what are you going to do when you get out?"


James pardoned in 2007

After his release from prison following his first conviction, James was pardoned by the National Parole Board in 2007. In January 2010, Fleury filed a criminal complaint against James, which led to his 2012 conviction.

Dr. Patrick Baillie, a forensic psychologist in Calgary, said parole can be an important tool in the rehabilitation of sex offenders.

"Over the years, I did far too many assessments of high-risk guys who, because they were being deemed high risk, were held until very close to, if not the end, of their sentence. And then the national parole board says, 'Well he's completed his sentence; there's nothing that we can do,'" he said.

"But then you release him without those supports, which increases the risk of doing something stupid." 'Stupid is not the correct word here, 'evil' is the correct word!

Former NHL Player Sheldon Kennedy says Sex Abuse Turned Him into 'a Zombie'

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press


Sheldon Kennedy is a former professional ice hockey player and founder of the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre. He is a guest columnist for the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund 2015. Handout photo Calgary Herald

Former Calgary Flames player Sheldon Kennedy is an advocate for victims of sexual abuse. 

Sheldon Kennedy says being sexually abused for years by his junior hockey coach Graham James turned him from a “goofy, slightly mixed-up kid” who dreamed of the future into little more than “a zombie.”

The former NHL player turned advocate for sexual abuse victims still seems ill at ease when talking about his own experiences, even though he was the first victim to come forward 20 years ago.

His coming forward was an unbelievably courageous act, especially at the time. Another Calgary Flame, Theo Fleury was the second to come out as being abused by James. Theo had a long and very successful career in the NHL, but suffered with addiction problems as Kennedy did.

But talk about them he does. On Monday, he was before an international audience of front-line agencies, policy-makers and researchers from 42 countries sharing ideas on how to protect children from abuse and neglect.

Pacing back and forth on stage at a conference of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, an emotional Kennedy recounted the circumstances that began when he was playing for the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos.

“It wasn’t, for me, a one-time thing with Graham James. It was every time I was with him,” he recalled.

“And it wasn’t just about the physical piece of it. It was about the mental manipulation and the confusion and the isolation that comes with their obsession over you.”

James would go to prison for sexually abusing Kennedy and is still serving time for preying on a number of other players. He is currently full parole.

Kennedy’s career in the National Hockey League spanned less than 10 years. He developed alcohol and drug problems as he struggled to come to terms with what had happened.

In 2013, he helped facilitate the opening of the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary. It brings together under one roof the services of police, social workers, medical staff, psychologists and prosecutors to try to avoid young victims constantly having to retell and relive their abuse.

Kennedy urged his audience to consider the same kind of co-ordinated approach to reduce the trauma child sexual abuse victims suffer around the world.

“We don’t treat a broken leg differently in Calgary than we do in Toronto, so why do we approach this stuff different around the world? The basics are the same,” he said.

“We talk about mental health, and then we talk about child abuse, and then we talk about addiction. For some reason, child abuse and child health treatment is a social services issue and a justice issue.

“This is a health issue.”

Kenney said almost 70 per cent of the children brought to the centre are between four and 12 years old and have experienced some sort of sexual abuse.

Alberta’s human services minister told delegates they must find better ways to end “needless tragedies.”

“The pervasiveness of these issues that we are discussing is not from a lack of commitment, concern or co-operation from all of those of you who deal with them every day,” said Irfan Sabir.

“It’s saddening to note that 39 years after (the international group) was founded we must still meet to discuss crimes that should have no place in our society.”

It is even more saddening to note that the problem just keeps getting worse and most governments in the world refuse to deal with it. That is probably because most people in the world are still, to a large degree, in the dark on the subject and often choose to remain that way.

Please pray about all these things. Pray for the advocacy centre model to be adopted all over the world. Pray for governments who have no interest in opening that can of worms to wake up and develop a heart. Children suffer brutally everyday because governments do nothing to address the worst atrocity the world has ever seen.

Alberta Invests in Child Sex Abuse Victims

BY CLARA HO, POSTMEDIA

 The province announced $1.7 million toward

programs that support child victims of 

sexual and physical abuse

The money will bolster the work done by child advocacy centres, which bring a multitude of resources – police, social workers, doctors – under one roof and work collaboratively to stop violence against children and get victims the help they need.

Human Services Minister Irfan Sabir said the grant funding will support three existing centres – the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary, the Zebra Child Protection Centre in Edmonton, and the Caribou Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Grande Prairie – as well as four emerging centres in Fort McMurray, Lethbridge, Lloydminster and Red Deer.

Curiously, they excluded Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch which the University of Alberta confirmed was working in significantly reducing the psychological effects of child sex abuse. Why?



"This funding will help us duplicate this work and extend this work throughout the province. We’ll be able to provide supports to vulnerable children throughout the province," Sabir told reporters after Thursday morning's announcement at Mount Royal University.

The existing centres will collaborate with community partners at the emerging centres to "essentially replicate the model of the practice the way they are doing things," he added.



Sheldon Kennedy, director of the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre and former NHL star-turned child rights advocate, said he is pleased the government is making child abuse a top priority in Alberta.

Kennedy said kids that have been abused are at risk of experiencing youth homelessness, of dropping out of high school, and male victims are more at risk of perpetrating dating violence.

His centre sees about 125 cases a month, so it's important for partners to work together, share information and collaborate.

"We cannot fiscally afford to keep trying to put the fire out downstream," Kennedy said. "We know that if we can reach kids early, we’ve got a better chance of turning around their lives there than we do down the road."

Bob Hassel, CEO of the Zebra Centre in Edmonton, was also thrilled with the funding announcement.

"We really need consistency in the province as to how we deal with child abuse. No matter where they are in this province, they deserve the same service delivery model," Hassel said.

Need people

"One of the things we need immediately is resources in our centre. We need people to help with this flow of people and children coming through so we can help them navigate through the system."

The Zebra Centre is seeing an increasing caseload, so the funding will help them with building training capacity and building children's support services program, he added.

Hassel said the Zebra Centre, which opened in 2002, was the first of its kind in Canada. Now he estimates there are 25 to 27 in the country. And with Thursday's funding announcement, he said the province has recognized "this is a proven model that works."

I'm not sure how far $1.7 million will go among all those centres, but certainly it will help and it is a good sign that the Alberta government has child sex abuse on its radar. Good for them. I am concerned as to why Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch was left out. Anyone care to explain?

More Charges for Hockey's Number One Pervert

Graham James, convicted sex abuser, 

faces new charge in Swift Current court

Former junior hockey coach convicted of sexually assaulting
ex-NHL players Theoren Fleury, Sheldon Kennedy
James pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges in Manitoba in 2011

CBC News 

Convicted sex offender and former junior hockey coach Graham James is facing another criminal charge in Saskatchewan. 

He's accused of one count of repeated sexual assaults.

Fleury

Kennedy

RCMP received a complaint from a former Swift Current Bronco, who alleges the assaults occurred between 1990 and 1991. At the time of the alleged incident, James was coaching the hockey team.
James's lawyer appeared for him Monday morning in Swift Current provincial court, with his next appearance set for June 19.

James was sentenced to more than five years in prison for repeated sexual assaults against ex-NHL players Theoren Fleury, Sheldon Kennedy and three other players he coached in junior hockey in the 1980s and 1990s.