Prince George, B.C., man charged in unusual kidnapping and sexual assault case
By Wil Fundal, CBC News
A Prince George man has been arrested and charged after a report of a kidnapping and sexual assault that prompted police to warn the public, especially women, to be careful when travelling alone.
Sukhjinder Singh, 26, is scheduled to appear in court again Oct. 19, 2017 to answer to one count of kidnapping and one count of sexual assault. He made his first appearance this week.
The charges stem from an incident on Sep. 3, 2017 at a Prince George gas station parking lot. Investigators say a woman was trying to fix a tire when a man, who was parked nearby, offered to help.
When the tire could not be repaired, the man then offered the woman a ride home, which she agreed to. But instead, police say, the suspect drove to another parking lot, held her against her will and sexually assaulted her. The woman was reported to have fended off the man and escaped on foot.
5th and Tabor
This is the parking lot where a woman was reportedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted in Sept. 2017. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC)
"[Kidnapping] incidents that involve a suspect who is a stranger to the victim are quite rare," said Insp. Shaun Wright.
Little is known about the accused, except that he does not have a prior criminal record.
"Naturally, everyone always thinks it's going to be your prolific offender. But [cases could] be one-offs. They can definitely be people who haven't hit our radar," said Wright. "People should feel safe. These are relatively rare incidents."
Police say the September incident occurred just a few blocks from another one in which a female jogger was reportedly attacked from behind at Foothills Boulevard. and Ochakwin Crescent.
Investigators described the suspect as a South Asian male with a slight accent, in his mid-to-late 20s with brown eyes, short brown hair, and facial hair. The description is close to that of a suspect wanted in connection with a series of indecent acts reported earlier this year.
"There's some similarities between [them] but there's insufficient evidence at this time to support charges," said Wright. "But we are actively pursuing that avenue of investigation."
Indecent Acts
Prince George, B.C. RCMP are requesting the assistance of the public to help identify the suspect or suspects in three Indecent Acts that have occurred in Prince George recently.
On Sunday March 12th, 2017 at approximately 4:00 AM, the Prince George RCMP received a report of an Indecent Act that had occurred earlier in the morning near the corner of Patricia Boulevard and Queensway in Prince George.
The suspect male approached an adult female and asked for directions. As the female began to provide directions, the suspect exposed himself. The female fled without further incident.
The suspect is described as:
South Asian male
Approximately 25 years old
173 cm (5’8)
Slim build
Slight beard and mustache
The suspect was wearing a grey and black plaid zip hoody, dark jeans and dark shoes. It is believed that he was also wearing a black turban under the hood of his hoody.
There have been two similar incidents reported to police in late January. On Monday January 30th, 2017, RCMP received a report of a South Asian male that had exposed himself to an adult female at a local liquor establishment near 3rd Avenue and Dominion Street in Prince George. The incident occurred earlier on the weekend and was not immediately reported.
Also on Monday January 30th, 2017, police received a report of a South Asian male that exposed himself to an adult female outside her residence near Ferry Avenue and Massey Drive in the early hours of the morning. When the incident occurred, the victim immediately went into her residence and the suspect fled the area on foot. Police were not immediately called.
It is vital to public safety that incidents like these be reported immediately to police. In fact, all criminal offences and suspicious occurrences should be reported at the earliest possible time in order to provide the greatest chance of positive results.
Investigators would like to identify and locate the person or persons responsible for these incidents. If you have any information about these Criminal offences or the person or persons involved, please contact the Prince George RCMP at (250)561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800)222-8477, online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only), or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) using keyword pgtips. You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers. If you provide information that leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Dan the Magic Man gets 5 years for
child sex abuse imagery
By Dean Pritchard, CBC News
A popular children's magician and former educational assistant whose arrest on child pornography charges sent shock waves through the Winnipeg school community has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Forty-year-old Daniel Kamenicky pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count each of making and possessing child pornography.
Kamenicky was arrested in August 2016 after dozens of photos and videos he had taken of young children were inadvertently uploaded to the photo sharing site Flickr.
Kamenicky surreptitiously recorded dozens of girls between the ages of eight and 10 while working as an educational assistant and while performing magic shows under the name Dan the Magic Man. Court heard Kamenicky would distract the girls and then take cellphone pictures or videos from underneath their dresses.
Police found Kamenicky was also in possession of videos and pictures he had downloaded from the Internet depicting children being sexually abused by adults.
"The only real inference is that he for some time has been obsessed with viewing children in deviant contexts ... and of late, depraved contexts," said Judge Sid Lerner.
Sin is progressive!
Lerner credited Kamenicky for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to 40 months.
Halifax police investigates report of man masturbating in shopping centre parkade
By Alexander Quon
Online Producer/Reporter Global News
Halifax Regional Police are investigating an indecent act that occurred in the parkade of the
Halifax Shopping Centre. Jennifer Grudic/Global News
Halifax Regional Police are investigating an indecent act that allegedly happened at the Halifax Shopping Centre on Wednesday.
Police first received a report shortly after 3 p.m., about a man masturbating in the centre’s parkade.
A woman reported that she observed a man masturbating and exposing himself in a staircase on the second level near Entrance 2 of the parkade.
Police say the man is described as white and between the ages of 30 and 40.
He had light blond or strawberry blond hair and at the time of the incident was wearing a dark T-shirt and blue jeans.
Officers are urging anyone with information about this incident, or the identity of the suspect, to contact police at 902-490-5016.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Toronto doctor accused of having sex with girl, 15;
injecting her with meds
By David Shum
Web Producer Global News
A 32-year-old Toronto doctor is facing multiple charges following a human trafficking investigation that found a man had sex with a 15-year-old girl after meeting her through an online escort service.
Toronto police said the suspect met the girl in December 2016 after responding to an ad on backpage.com. Authorities said the man and girl had unprotected sex at different hotels in the Toronto area for several months.
It is also alleged the suspect would prescribe her birth control pills and inject her with medication after each encounter.
Police said on one occasion, the suspect requested the girl show up at his place of work at the Toronto General Hospital where they had sex in his office.
Ernest Chiu of Toronto has been arrested and charged with sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, obtaining sexual services from a person under 18 and sexual assault.
Police said the suspect is employed as a doctor of nephrology. He has worked in several medical facilities in Toronto including St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto Rehab and Sinai Health System.
The accused made a court appearance on Oct. 6.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
Testimony wraps in St. John’s child sex abuse case
Meanwhile, his son is awaiting trial on several child sex abuse charges
Tara Bradbury the telegram
Chris Snow, 68, appeared in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court this week, on trial for charges related to the sexual abuse of five children over a period of years in the 1960s and 1970s. The case will be back in court Friday morning, when lawyers will give their closing submissions.
Testimony in the trial of a St. John’s man accused of sexually assaulting five children in the 1960s and 70s wrapped up in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Wednesday morning, with the defence calling no evidence.
Chris Snow, 68, had indicated to the court through his lawyer Jason Edwards on Tuesday he wanted to testify, but did not take the stand when his case resumed Wednesday. Edwards called no other witnesses.
Five people — both women and men — testified on Tuesday that Snow sexually assaulted them over a period of years between 1965 and 1976. A sixth complainant had been scheduled to take the stand but declined at the last minute, resulting in two of Snow’s charges being withdrawn.
Snow — who is known in St. John’s for driving a truck decorated with boughs and coloured lights and playing music during the Christmas season — has pleaded not guilty to 14 charges related to sexually abusing children, beginning when he was 18 years old.
The complainants gave testimonies of Snow sneaking into their bedrooms at night and fondling them, sometimes leaving them money. The men spoke of Snow forcing them to fondle him or forcing their mouths on his genitals. One man told the court Snow attempted to penetrate him anally on a number of occasions, beginning when he was nine years old. He gave details of three alleged incidents in particular, the most violent taking place when he was 13 and Snow was 24, he said.
All the witnesses said Snow assaulted them many times over the years.
“Once a week would be guaranteed,” one man said. “Sometimes it would be every second night.
“It was always the same repeated incident, some more aggressive than others.”
In addition to the complainants describing symptoms of physical and emotional trauma, one of them said she had been working with a psychiatrist in the late 1970s and had blocked out memories of her childhood for a period of time as a way of dealing with what Snow had done to her. Edwards questioned her on the accuracy of her memories as a result.
The woman acknowledged memory issues, but was adamant she was recalling the details of the abuse accurately, even if she was unable to provide a better timeline for them.
“I was a kid,” she said. “You don’t remember everything that happened when you were a kid. But I know it happened.”
Another woman said she had memory issues because of car accidents and surgeries, and had remembered many of the assaults through having flashbacks. Often times the flashbacks were brought on by seeing Snow’s truck or other encounters with him as an adult, she told the court.
“Just to be clear, everything we’re hearing today (from you) is based on flashbacks?,” Edwards asked the woman.
“Absolutely, yes,” she replied.
Justice William Goodridge asked Edwards and Crown prosecutor Tannis King to provide examples of case law involving flashbacks and recovered memories flashbacks when they provide their final submissions in the case Friday morning.
Snow's son in custody for child sex abuse charges
In an unrelated case, Snow’s son, David Snow, is facing charges of sex crimes against children in relation to incidents alleged to have occurred between 2011 and 2015. The 35-year-old, who is currently in custody, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference, three counts of exposing his genitals to a child under 16, and 10 counts of observing a person for a sexual purpose. He’s also charged with making and possessing child pornography. He has not been convicted and his case is making its way through the courts.
Advocate says system failed 12-year-old
sexual abuse victim
James McLeod the telegram
The province’s child and youth advocate says the system failed a 12-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by her stepfather, and then taken by him to get an abortion in the province.
In a report released Wednesday, Jacqueline Lake Kavanagh detailed a situation where a family was in the process of moving to Newfoundland and Labrador, and the stepfather impregnated the 12-year-old, and then took her to Planned Parenthood seeking an abortion.
Ultimately, the child was referred to Eastern Health, and an abortion was performed. Kavanagh said in her report that various players didn’t do enough to intervene.
“Age-appropriate counselling services were not provided nor offered; no screening for potential sexual abuse or potential coercion occurred,” the report says.
Ultimately, after the family’s case was eventually referred to the provincial department of Children, Seniors and Social Development, the RNC (Royal Newfoundland Constabulary) were brought in. The family moved to another province, and the child received another abortion. Eventually, the stepfather was criminally charged and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
“Questions were not asked, risk was not assessed, consents were not appropriately obtained, child-centred responses were not provided, investigative responses were incomplete and documentation deficiencies existed,” the report says.
Kavanagh recommended that when children seek abortions, greater counselling and follow-up care should be provided. She also said that health care workers need more education on relevant legislation when it comes to child abuse and consent.
At the very least! I'm inclined to believe that both of these abortions were arguably criminal acts. If they aren't, they should be!
Blue bearded man busted in kiddie porn probe
BY BRAD HUNTER, TORONTO SUN
A Toronto man sporting a distinctive blue van dyke beard has been busted and charged with a slew of child porn charges. And cops fear where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Walter Weber, 56, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of accessing child porn and making child pornography available.
Investigators say Weber’s arrest comes as part of a wide-ranging probe into the distribution of child porn.
They executed search warrants in the Keele-Bloor Sts. area and Jane St.-Eglinton Ave. area. During the execution of the search warrant, cops allegedly found images and video of child sexual abuse.
Cops say they believe Weber had close contact with children in the late 1970s to early 1980s in Scarborough.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-8500 or call Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
