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By LegalMatters Staff • Two recent news stories have focused on sexual crimes against children. Earlier this year a former medical officer of health for both Alberta and British Columbia was found guilty of sexual assault of a child.
According to court documents, an 11-year-old boy said the doctor showed him pornography and touched him inappropriately at the physician’s home two years earlier.
Also in the news were stories about an American actor who appeared in Dances With Wolves. He also took part in three other films that were filmed in Alberta – DreamKeeper, shot partially in Standoff, Alta., as well as Into the West and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, both filmed in Calgary. Police are looking to identify any potential local victims.
Statistics Canada reports that police investigated 1,718 allegations of sexual violations against children in Alberta during 2021. That led to 750 people being charged, including 621 adults.
Calgary criminal lawyer Greg Dunn notes that there is no statute of limitations on criminal sexual offences in Canada.
“You can be charged with sexual interference if you touch, directly or indirectly, any part of the body of some under 16,” says Dunn. “If you invite or ask a person under 16 to touch, directly or indirectly, a part of your body, you can be charged with invitation to sexual touching. If you are in a position of trust or authority and you use that to foster a sexual relationship with a child, you can be charged with sexual exploitation.”
