A week and a half long trial involving historic sex crimes coming to a close Wednesday (Nov. 13) in Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench.
A 51-year old Raymond man is facing four counts of sexual assault and a single count of sexual interference, dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. His identity is protected under a publication ban.
Earlier this year, the same man was convicted in Lethbridge youth court for similar charges, but from when he was a teen back in the 80s. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail for those offences.
One alleged victim in the adult case says she was about eight-years old in the mid-1980s when the man performed oral sex and touched them inappropriately numerous times. Two others say they were abused when he returned to Canada following his mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the late-80s.
The accused admitted during his own testimony to sexually abusing one of the alleged victims when he was older than 18, but denies that any abuse happened after his mission.
The court has heard that the accused became a bishop for his local church in 2016. One of the alleged victims says they chose to report the decades-old abuse to police since church officials refused to remove him from the position, even though they were aware of the allegations.
The trial judge is expected to deliver their verdict next month.