Vigilante Justice or Community Safety? Protesters Target Albertans on Bail Accused of Crimes Against Children

If you have read this blog for some years you will know that I have complained relentlessly about Canada's Justice system and their leniency toward criminals and their apparent complete neglect of the victim's welfare. Finally, a group of Edmonton citizens is standing up for those victims, and the media dares to call them vigilantes. 

Andrea Huncar · CBC News 

Wade Stene was taken back into police custody in Edmonton last month after two weeks of protests. He faces charges of kidnapping, sexual assault with a weapon and threats causing death or bodily harm. (CBC )

Triumphant protesters cheered last week as Edmonton police officers escorted accused child predator Wade Stene from his mother's home into a police van and back to jail.

Protesters had spent two weeks keeping watch on the bungalow in the McQueen neighbourhood after Stene was released on bail under house arrest near his alleged eight-year-old victim. His address was posted on social media.

How could a judge agree to that? Sending the suspect right back into the neighbourhood where his victim and her little friends live? He couldn't possibly have considered the welfare of the child, her friends, or her family in so doing?

But when Stene asked to go back to jail for his own safety, many protesters didn't go home. 

Instead, they headed 12 kilometres north where another demonstration had erupted outside the residence of Donald George Dupuis in St. Albert, Alta. The high-risk offender was said to be living near his victim after serving 12 months for sexual interference of a child. 

Within days, news spread that Dupuis had moved out of the neighbourhood, but protesters aren't done.

The People vs. Predators Facebook page, previously named The People vs. Wade Stene page, has amassed nearly 3,000 members and is organizing another protest Saturday in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. That's where Damien Christopher Starrett — who was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his one-year-old son Ares — is out on bail. 

Father charged with murder in death of one-year-old son in Fort Saskatchewan

Dozens of supporters on Facebook said they planned to attend. Others on the page shared their own personal stories or opinions about child predators and frustrations with a criminal justice system many suggested is broken.

On June 30, protesters set up tents and a porta-potty outside Stene's residence at a demonstration that lasted two weeks. (CBC)

The people vs. Wade Stene

Last March, Stene allegedly pulled an eight-year-old girl he didn't know into a vehicle, sexually assaulted her, then dropped her off in the McQueen neighbourhood. Ten days later, police charged him with kidnapping, sexual assault with a weapon and threats causing death or bodily harm. Court records show that if convicted it would be Stene's first offence in Alberta.

On June 16, Justice Douglas Mah granted Stene bail after a provincial court judge denied his release a month earlier.

In a public warning, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said Stene posed a significant risk of harm to the community. 

Police later explained to CBC News that they have a duty to warn the public about significant health and safety risks, citing Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation, as well as common law rule. 

Accused child sexual predator taken back into custody after judge revokes bail

That warning set off alarm bells in the McQueen neighbourhood where some residents told CBC News that initially the community was united in wanting Stene out.

Zak Gladue, who has a daughter and lives just outside McQueen, said he protested at Stene's residence for 13 days because of  "a bad call on behalf of the justice system."

"I feel the victims don't have a voice," Gladue said in an interview. "It's about community coming together and realizing if there's a problem, we can fix it."

He emphasized that the protest should remain peaceful but said rocks and eggs were thrown after some outsiders turned up.

It's about community coming together and realizing

if there's a problem, we can fix it."​​​​​

- Zak Gladue

"That's not what we're about," Gladue said. "We are a peaceful protest. We don't want the violence. We don't wish any harm against Mr. Stene or Mrs. Stene, and anybody who comes by here — if you're coming by to cause problems, you're not welcome."

But some residents who spoke to CBC News said the protest became more aggressive, stretching on into the night, where an increasing number of protesters appeared to be outsiders. Some of those who raised concerns on social media were accused of supporting pedophiles.

Meanwhile, demonstrators set up tents and a porta-potty where a coffin and noose were also spotted.

With kids nearby, some protesters yelled, "F--k you, Wade" repeatedly on a megaphone. The white jeep allegedly used in the abduction was smashed, with the word "scum" scrawled onto the exterior.

Edmonton police confirmed to CBC News that officers are investigating a number of alleged criminal acts in relation to the protests. 

Scott Blandford, a public safety programs co-ordinator, professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and retired police officer, described the Stene protest as the emboldening of vigilantism, which he said appeared to be on the rise. 

He said it's partly the result of how quickly false information can spread on social media, along with a greater distrust of government and policing and a lack of understanding of how the justice system works.

"In this day and age, there's that demand for instant justice, and that's just not the way our system is designed," Blandford said.

"Who's to say that he could afford to move anywhere else or stay in a hotel room, plus the fact that on the other side of the coin — why should someone be penalized? Which forcing them to move essentially is a punitive measure before they've even been convicted." 

This is exactly the problem these people are trying to address. Blandford makes no mention of the victims of these crimes but has great concern for the person charged with them. If the police have enough evidence to charge the man, then the justice system should hold themselves responsible to protect the victims and possible future victims from further criminal abuse.

McQueen resident Nathan DeVries disagreed.

Partly due to concerns about vigilantism, DeVries instead launched a petition that drew nearly 17,000 signatures in support of removing Stene from the neighbourhood. 

DeVries, whose eight-year-old daughter is a close friend of the alleged victim, said he wanted to show support for the family and restore a sense of safety to a neighbourhood still healing after the alleged crimes.

He also wants answers.

"He hasn't pled either way in court. I get that," DeVries said. "But recognizing that a crime was committed in our community, and he is the accused in that crime — that is factual. 

"And to then place him back in the community seems to be lacking some of that common sense and the understanding of the psychological ramifications for a young kid on how that would affect her and her family, and also the rest of the community at large." 

Alberta Justice said the United Conservative Party (UCP) government is committed to "a faster, fairer and a more responsive justice system."

"Without commenting on specific cases before the courts, our government believes that those found guilty of crimes involving sexual violence and violence against children should face serious sentences appropriate to their crimes and remain incarcerated as is necessary to protect public safety," wrote Jonah Mozeson, press secretary to Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer, in an email.

Mozeson said the government had already taken notable action including doubling of funds for ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation unit, which arrested 18 suspects for child exploitation offences last month.

'The very best'

Retired Edmonton police detective Wil Tonowski said he understands why people are so critical of the justice system. He used to feel the same way, until he attended hundreds of parole board hearings during his last decade at EPS where he was in charge of the high-risk offenders section.

He said the success of the programs far outweigh the failures. "We're right up there with the very best in the world," Tonowski said. 

Among the examples, Tonowski lauded tailor-made sentencing, top-notch rehabilitation programming that interrupts the crime cycle and strict release conditions approved at several levels that can include as many check-ins as twice a day.

Tonowski said police also work with offenders to try to find a safe place for them to work and live so they won't reoffend again — describing it as a tough balance.

"You want to warn the public that this individual is out there again," he said. "On the other hand, you can't just throw them out there with no support system whatsoever … which increases his risk level and then he's reoffending again."

But Tonowski said an offender should never be released in the same area as the victim.

"Something like that warrants some sort of an inquiry," he said.

In jurisdictions outside Edmonton, RCMP spokesperson Fraser Logan said a member of the high-risk offender program works directly with a released offender, as well as social workers and Alberta Health Services to seek appropriate services and ensure their mental health needs are met.

"It is the RCMP's goal to balance community safety, enforcement of the offender and to mitigate any risk they may pose while assisting the offender reintegrate into the community," Logan said.

FGM Conviction, Vigilantes, Another UK City Raped, Hockey Brawl on Today's Global PnP List

Jury convicts person on U.K. female genital mutilation law for first time

By Sommer Brokaw

(UPI) -- A mother has become the first person in Great Britain to be convicted of female genital mutilation since the practice was outlawed over three decades ago.

A British jury found the unnamed 37-year-old mother, originally from Uganda and living in Britain for a number of years, guilty Friday of committing female genital mutilation, often known as FGM, two years ago on her 3-year-old daughter, the Crown Prosecution Service, which brought the case to trial, said.

The verdict marks the first time anyone has been convicted of FGM since the United Kingdom criminalized the practice in the 1985. The practice is also banned in Uganda.

"It is significant that this is the first FGM conviction in the UK and I hope this sends out a clear message that the Met and other partner agencies will thoroughly investigate FGM cases and pursue prosecutions, whilst offering full support to victims and affected parties," inspector Allen Davis, the Metropolitan Police's lead officer for FGM, said in a statement.

The woman's trial started at the Old Bailey on Jan. 14, and she will be sentenced in the same court March 8. The father, 43, was a co-defendant in the trial, but was found not guilty of the same offense.

The parents brought their 3-year-old daughter into a hospital in August 2017 with serious injuries that doctors later discovered were consistent with female genital mutilation, officials said. This led to their arrests.

Police said they found out during the investigation that the mother was interested in witchcraft and had spells and curses in her home including two cow tongues in her freezer bound in wire with nails and a small knife embedded in them. Police said they also found 40 limes containing small pieces of paper linked to witchcraft spells against people connected to the investigation.

The mother said her daughter injured herself by falling from a kitchen counter onto an metal-lined cupboard door. However, medical experts said the injuries could not have occurred that way.

Instead, authorities discovered the girl's genital region was mutilated with a sharp instrument about 12 hours before she was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

"Female genital mutilation has an appalling physical and emotional impact on victims that usually lasts their entire life," the Crown Prosecution Service's Lynette Woodrow said. "We can only imagine how much pain this vulnerable young girl suffered and how terrified she was."

Last November in the U.S., a federal judge in Michigan determined a federal law criminalizing female genital mutilation is unconstitutional, saying the practice is a "local criminal activity" that should be addressed by states. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman dismissed six of eight charges against Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, who was accused of carrying out the procedure on nine girls between the ages of 8 and 13.

Was the decision to charge this woman made after police discovered she was completely insane? Is it likely to be a precedent for charges against less insane people, or will the UK continue to bury such horrid suffering of little girls in a cloak of political correctness?

Deaths of accused rapists in Bangladesh

tied to suspected vigilantes

By Nicholas Sakelaris

Women march in solidarity with the #MeToo movement in Bangladesh, where three accused rapists have been found murdered in the same fashion with a note around their neck warning other rapists to watch out. Photo by Monirul Alam/EPA-EFE

(UPI) -- Three rape suspects in Bangladesh have been found dead with notes around their necks confessing to crimes, suggesting a vigilante is committing extrajudicial killings.

At least one of the notes referenced a possible alter ego for the killer, Hercules, Al Jazeera reported. Two of the victims were accused of gang-raping a student from a religious school in Bhandaria on Jan. 14. The third victim was one of four men accused of gang-raping a garment worker in Savar outside Dhaka on Jan. 7.

One of the letters left around the victim's neck read, "I am Pirojpur Bhandaria's ... rapist Rakib. This is the punishment for rape. Rapists beware. Hercules," {link:DailyPakistan.com reported.

Family members of the victims said they had been picked up by plain-clothed people before they were found dead.

One of the bodies was found about 160 miles from the others.

Police are investigating the incidents.

"At this point, we are not even sure that the same person or the group is doing these murders," Sohel Rana, Additional Inspector General of Police Headquarters, told Al Jazeera.

Rape convictions are rare in Bangladesh, prompting some on social media to hail Hercules as a "vigilante" delivering justice for victims.

Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton disagreed, but acknowledged the country is enraged about recent rape incidents.

"The recent killings naturally raise a lot of questions, especially considering the facts that the country has a long tainted record of extrajudicial killings," Liton told Al Jazeera. "The government should launch a proper investigation to probe these murders. No one should be allowed to be killed extrajudiciously."

No-one should be allowed to gang-rape women or girls, but it happens all too often in Bangladesh, and all too often the perpetrators get away with it. If the judicial system is inadequate to deal with the problem, vigilantes will often emerge. Vigilantes are not the problem, the pathetic judicial system is the problem. Let's watch to see if the vigilantes get as much justice as gang-rapists.

The most recent victim was found in a village in southwestern Jhalakathi on Jan. 26. The body was face down with a wound near the eye that looked like a bullet hole.

"It felt strange and scary to see this happen in my area ... but it also felt like justice," Mahmud Hasan, chairman of the Shaulakania Union, a government unit.

Thirty-three men arrested over Halifax, UK

child sex abuse - nationalities kept secret

A woman told West Yorkshire Police she was abused as a child in Halifax

Thirty-three men have been arrested in connection with historical child sexual abuse in West Yorkshire.

It follows allegations made by a woman about abuse she suffered as a child in Halifax, Calderdale, between 2002 and 2005.

The arrested men, aged between 30 and 40, have been released under investigation pending further inquiries.

Homes in Calderdale, Bradford and Kirklees were searched, police said.

West Yorkshire Police said the arrests were part of an "ongoing operation", which started in October last year.

Det Insp Laura Nield, of the Calderdale District Safeguarding unit, said: "We would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, no matter when it took place, to report it to the police.

"You will be listened to, taken seriously and supported by professionals with experience of dealing with these kind of offences."

The force had specialist safeguarding units across the county and worked with local authorities and charities to "bring offenders to justice", she said.

In January, the force arrested 55 men from Dewsbury, Batley and Bradford in connection with historical child sex abuse cases in West Yorkshire.

The claims made by seven women related to abuse against them as children between 2002 and 2009.

In 2016, four men were sentenced to long prison terms for sexually assaulting a 13 and a 15 year old in Dewsbury. All 4 men had Muslim names and may have been Pakistani. British media sees no need to warn British girls about the dangers of being groomed by Pakistani gangs. The nationalities of both the 33 and the 55 arrested last month are being kept secret. But all other large gangs of child grooming rapists in Britain have been 95-100% Pakistani Muslims. 

I wonder if the secrecy has anything to do with Brexit? I wonder why UK media doesn't care?

Former Australian Teacher Arrested Over

Child Sex Abuse Charges in Cambodia

A 69-year-old man has been arrested by Cambodian authorities in Siem Reap on child sex charges for the sexual abuse of six boys, aged 11 to 14.

Garry Paul Mulroy is a former Catholic private school teacher from Australia who moved to Cambodia in 2015.

According to the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection force of the Siem Reap Provincial Police, Mulroy coerced the minors, all from poor families, to have sex with him in exchange for food and money.

APLE (Action Pour Les Enfants) Cambodia child protection specialist Khoem Vando said that Mulroy brought six Cambodian boys to his rented home in Slorkram where he sexually abused them in November 2018.

“After his arrest, he became sick and was sent to the provincial referral hospital for treatment,” Provincial Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department chief Colonel Chea Heng was quoted as saying.

When Mulroy recovers, he will be sent to the provincial court for further questioning.

A former teacher at Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, New South Wales, Mulroy visited Cambodia in 2014 when he brought his Year 11 students to Siem Reap to build houses for the poor.

The students reportedly raised $7500 to buy building materials for the project. They used their own money for their airfares and accommodation.

The trip resulted in Mulroy being hailed as a hero among the locals. In December 2015, Mulroy left Trinity College and moved to Cambodia soon after.

Ex GAA coach to be extradited from US

to Ireland on <400 child sex charges

Shane Phelan  

A judge in New York has ruled a former GAA coach can be extradited to Ireland to face almost 400 charges of child sex abuse.

The suspect has been in custody since January 16 and sought to be released on bail last week. The man’s sister asked a judge to release him because she said he had health problems.

Last week the man broke down at his extradition hearing (2nd story on link).

A lawyer for the man also said his client had not fled Ireland, as claimed by authorities, but moved to the US, where he lived openly and used his real name.

However, in a ruling on Tuesday, Judge Daniel Stewart of the United States District Court in Albany certified that the man could be extradited.

“Having reviewed the documents that have been appropriately authenticated and submitted to the court, and having conducted a hearing and listened to the representative for the government and [the suspect’s] attorney, I now conclude that the requirements of extradition have been satisfied,” the judge said in a written ruling.

The judge also rejected an argument put forward by the man’s lawyer that probable cause had not been proven, which is required before an extradition request can be certified.

“The court also finds probable cause to believe that the crimes charged occurred and that the accused is responsible. The charges at issue derive from the claim that [the suspect] had a long-standing sexually abusive relationship with two young boys whom he had befriended, groomed, and exploited when they were between the ages of 12 and 19,” Judge Stewarts said.

“The detail provided in the statement of facts and the information provided to the court is extensive, and the court notes that the information is based upon a large number of witness statements, including statements from the alleged victims and independent exhibits. [The suspect] himself left Ireland before he had an opportunity to be questioned by the police in the presence of his solicitor.”

The man left Ireland in 2013 while gardaí were investigating claims he sexually abused two boys at a GAA ground and elsewhere between 2004 and 2009.

He is charged with 394 criminal counts – including 210 of sexual assault and 177 counts of rape – arising from alleged prolonged sexual abuse of two minor victims.

Shaming of sexual assault survivor sparked

varsity hockey brawl - obviously in Canada

Anjuli Patil · CBC News 

A player and his coach say the shaming of a sexual assault survivor is what sparked an intense brawl between the two Nova Scotia university men's hockey teams during a game in Wolfville, N.S., on Saturday, but the other team disputes this.

Sam Studnicka, a player with St. Francis Xavier University X-Men, and his coach, Brad Peddle, on Monday released statements about the fight with Axemen players from Acadia University.

Studnicka said a comment was made to him by a member of the Axemen during the third period of the game. He said he told Peddle, who addressed it with the on-ice officials and the head coach of Acadia.

Studnicka said he was "completely shocked" when minutes later the opposing player was sent to take a faceoff with him. 

The brawl started soon after.

​Studnicka did not identify the opposing player or the sexual assault survivor, or specify what was said. 

I think it's pretty obvious who the sex assault survivor is. If not, keep reading.

I am proud of the way my teammates stood up for me

and for something bigger than hockey.

- Sam Studnicka

He said in his three years playing hockey, he's faced similar "insulting and derogatory comments on the ice. It has taken an emotional toll on me."

He said players from the Axemen team have "elicited repeated on-ice comments directed towards me" and that it "has been frustrating."

Acadia won the game 6-3.

A few videos of the fight were uploaded to YouTube.

The videos show players from both teams grabbing at one another, throwing punches and hurling insults.

One video shows a player from Acadia's team hitting people with his hockey stick from the bench. It also shows Peddle standing at the divider between the benches and yelling at the Acadia bench.

Studnicka said he was happy his teammates didn't let the incident slide.

"I am proud of the way my teammates stood up for me and for something bigger than hockey. This event shows that more education is still needed on this issue," Studnicka said.

"It is a serious societal issue, and we need more awareness and education on all levels so young men are aware of the implications of their words and actions." 

'Very avoidable'
Peddle said after 14 years of coaching at the university level, he doesn't approve of fighting in the league, but he defended his players for standing up for their teammate.

"That is more important than winning a hockey game. It is a testament to the character and integrity of the student-athletes in our locker room," Peddle said.

Peddle went on to say he believed the incident was "very avoidable" based on "repeated discussions about the situation."

"Supporting Sam has always been the top priority," Peddle said. "In this specific instance, our team took a stand to protect him from repeated, unnecessary insults that have no place in sport or the greater society."

'Not consistent' with allegation
Acadia University's executive director of varsity athletics says the school started its own investigation on Sunday and was in contact with Atlantic University Sport (AUS) on Monday.

"The information we have gathered is not consistent with the allegations," made by St. Francis Xavier, Kevin Dickie told CBC News on Monday.

Dickie said Acadia is participating in the AUS investigation, but considers the behaviour unacceptable "on numerous levels."

'Hear both sides'
AUS's men's hockey commissioner Dave McLean and executive director Phil Currie released a statement Tuesday saying they're "reviewing the numerous infractions which occurred in Saturday night's game."

A complete list of automatic suspensions will likely be released on Wednesday and will take effect immediately and be in place for a game scheduled for that day.

"On the whole, this egregious incident flies in the face of our regulations, our policies and our values," said Currie. "Our student-athletes are students first and, as such, our conference does not tolerate violence."

On Monday night, Currie​ told CBC News in a phone interview he thought it was important for Studnicka "to come forward and say his piece publicly."

"I applaud him for having the courage to do so, but that doesn't change the investigation we're pursuing in reference to the incident, and our commissioner will still do his work and look at all the issues related to the incident," Currie said.

Currie said the investigation will involve interviewing all the players and "natural justice properties and philosophies."

"It's important we hear both sides of each of these issues and then, from there, determine if we need more information experts or more information from other players, whatever the case may be," he said.

As hockey brawls go, this was relatively tame, at least compared to the 'donnybrooks' in the NHL when the big, bad, Philadelphia Flyers were winning Stanley Cups but beating their opponents half to death. But they are quite rare these days as concussions are emerging as being life-threatening and career ending. Most talented hockey players behave with some degree of integrity, while less talented players resort to whatever it take to get noticed.

Creep Catchers Says Latest Sting Nabs Elementary School Principal in Abbotsford

By Jill Slattery  Online Producer Global News

WATCH ABOVE 2:06: The controversial group 'Creep Catchers' may have made another big catch. While the group has made mistakes in the past, parents are convinced the man shown on the latest sting video is an elementary school principal. Grace Ke reports.

British Columbia: The controversial group Creep Catchers says a man caught on video in its latest sting operation in Abbotsford may be an elementary school principal.

While Creep Catchers has made mistakes in the past identifying the subjects of their videos, some parents are convinced the man shown in the latest video is a Lower Mainland elementary school principal. Now, police and school officials are investigating.

The video was taken Oct. 14 in the food court at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre in Abbotsford. The man identified himself as “James,” a 33-year-old biologist.

A woman named Marie working with Creep Catchers posed as a teenage girl online to lure James. She says she didn’t know the man was possibly a principal until she read Facebook posts about him.

“They use that position of trust to gain the trust of these vulnerable children,” she told Global News.

One mother, who doesn’t want to be identified, says she has two children who attend the same school.

“A friend sent me a text that she said ‘Isn’t this the principal at your school,’ and she sent me a link to a video. I watched it and I was surprised, and yes that is.”

This isn’t the first time Creep Catchers has named high-profile individuals as the subjects of their stings.

Surrey RCMP officer Dario Devic has been taken off duty and charged with luring a child. He had also been charged with breach of trust, but last week the Crown dropped that charge.

 WATCH: 0:29 The Surrey RCMP officer allegedly caught in a vigilante sting now may only face a    charge of child luring. The charge of breach of trust has been dropped.

In the wake of the suicide of a woman portrayed in a Creep Catchers’ video, Alberta police harshly criticized the group, calling them vigilantes.

“Individuals running Creep Catchers are about being judge, jury and executioner,” said acting Staff Sgt. Stephen Camp with ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) team.

ICE investigators are the experts in child sex cases. They say Creep Catchers constantly disrupt their work and have even caused predators to move on and re-offend in other provinces.

“The harm this group is causing to the public and law enforcement and injustice is just wrong,” Camp said.

While their actions are controversial, this mother supports their work.

“It can be controversial, but anything that keeps my children safer and me in the know is good for me.”

Police say they are now investigating. The school superintendent has also released a statement saying:

“The school district is aware of the video and is conducting an investigation. Due to protection of privacy legislation, the district is not able to comment any further at this time.

— With files from Grace Ke, Kendra Slugoski and Caley Ramsay

Former B.C. Sheriff Faces Charges After Another Vigilante Sting Targeting Online Predators

This is the second story in a week of vigilante groups confronting an online child sex predator in British Columbia. Both were law enforcement officers. The emergence of vigilante groups came about as a response to the lack of enforcement by police. 

In Canada, as elsewhere, protection of children from predators is not a priority. There is little, if any, budget for police forces to specifically target child sex abusers. Child sex abuse is far and away the worst crime committed in Canada and the US, but governments and police don't seem to be aware of that.



The Canadian Press

A growing trend of vigilante stings has resulted in charges against a former deputy sheriff in British Columbia just days after a Mountie faced similar allegations.

The B.C. Criminal Justice Branch announced Tuesday that Kevin Johnston, who worked in Kamloops, has been charged with three counts of communicating with an underage person for a sexual offence and one count of invitation to sexual touching.

An unnamed RCMP officer in Surrey was arrested last week and is being investigated for child luring and sexual exploitation after the vigilante group Creep Catchers released video that it claimed was a confrontation with a man who thought he was meeting an underage girl.

Justice branch spokesman Dan McLaughlin confirmed that both men came to the attention of police through separate vigilante groups.

“There are organizations that are out there providing opportunities for people to communicate with people they believe to be underage females in these instances and they seem to have been caught by those organizations.”

None of the allegations against the two men has been proven in court.

In the latest allegations, media reports said a group called Creep Hunters in Kelowna posted a video on Facebook that the group said showed a confrontation with Johnston after he allegedly tried to initiate a relationship with an underage girl.

The group’s website was taken down on Tuesday, but some of the video was still available and had been shared on Facebook.

In British Columbia, Crown prosecutors decide if charges should be laid after police present them with a file of evidence.

McLaughlin said this case is no different in that police will investigate and assess the strength of the case.

“All viable defences are considered when we’re assessing the materials that are provided to us,” he said. “Part of that process would be considering whether there are charter issues that are raised by the manner in which the evidence was collected.”

By charter issues, he is referring to Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms

McLaughlin said if Crown lawyers are not satisfied of a substantial likelihood of conviction, charges won’t proceed, the same as in any other case.

He couldn’t say if the criminal justice branch would reconsider how it evaluates evidence in light of the recent vigilante stings.

“If there’s an area that we think is lacking in our policies then we take steps to do that,” he said. “As long as we’re being provided with evidence which we feel meets that standards that we must apply … then we’ll deal with the evidence that investigative agencies provide to us.”

The branch said Johnston is no longer employed as a court sheriff. His next court appearance is set for Oct. 20.

Surrey Mountie

The unnamed Mountie allegedly confronted by a vigilante group has been suspended from the force. The criminal justice branch said it is assessing possible charges against the officer, and his name won’t be released until he is officially charged.

RCMP’s assistant commissioner Brenda Butterworth-Carr told reporters last week that police were investigating the man on allegations of child luring and sexual exploitation.

She said the allegations are egregious and not in keeping with what the RCMP expects of its employees.

The officer’s next court appearance is set for Oct. 19.