Jury Expected To Begin Deliberations In Sextortion Case

The jury trial involving a 52-year-old man facing allegations of sexual interference and assault along with making child pornography and extortion is nearing its end after opening more than a month ago.

The trial opened on April 20 with jurors hearing testimony on sporadic occasions due to a litany of issues.

The Owl is not identifying the complainant due to a publication ban protecting their identity nor is identifying the accused due to the nature of the relationship between the two.

During closing arguments at Medicine Hat Court of King’s Bench on Friday, defence counsel Greg White outlined his client’s testimony and categorically denying all allegations against him.

Those allegations include the 52-year-old accused securing a then 15-year-old complainant in a bondage device and supplying them with a sex toy to utilize, according to testimony from the complainant. Allegations also include the accused filmed sexual interactions with the teen between 2018 and 2020. Those sex videos served to repay a dark web hacker who provided information regarding a neighbour whose home which had been raided by police, according to the complainant’s testimony.

White told jurors in his closing submission that if that claim sounded “ridiculous,” they should consider that when determining if they had reasonable doubt about his client’s guilt.

He said no videos were ever recovered by police despite the raid on his client’s home came with no warning to him and he characterized the complainant as a “storyteller” with a history of posting her own videos on social media.

White reiterated that despite the complainant’s mother describing the accused as a “trophy collector” who would absolutely have evidence of his actions, no videos were found. In contrast, White said the evidence jurors heard included that which indicated his client referred discussions about sex which would crop up with the complainant were referred to their mother.

Crown prosecutor Lisa Weich described the complainant as young and naive at the time of the allegations who was in a “incredibly vulnerable position” over the period of the allegations.

She told jurors they were in a position to believe the testimony of the complainant.

Jurors will be given lengthy final instructions by King’s Bench Justice Corina Dario Monday morning prior to beginning deliberations.