Ex-Mounties accused of child-luring
New charge aimed at people who contact
minors by computer to commit another offence
Jonathan Fowlie and Paul Walton, Vancouver Sun; Nanaimo Daily News
Published: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 LANGLEY and PARKSVILLE - Two men -- one who has resigned from the RCMP and another who has been suspended -- have been charged with child-luring in separate cases made public on Tuesday.
One incident is alleged to have occurred in Langley and the other in Parksville.
In the Langley case, two counts of luring have been laid against a a 23-year-old Langley RCMP officer who was suspended from the force upon his arrest and who eventually resigned.
Langley RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Diane Blain said the officer was arrested last June after computers at a local police station were allegedly used for chats with two teenage girls.
She said the investigation began after a tip from someone within the force.
The officer was released the day he was arrested on a promise to appear and was immediately suspended with pay.
Blain said the officer was using the Internet site Nexopia while on duty, and he is accused of contacting a 12-year-old from Langley and a 15-year-old from Richmond on successive days last May. Blain said no meetings were set up.
Child-luring is a relatively new charge in the Criminal Code that deals specifically with people who contact minors using a computer to facilitate the commission of another offence.
Blain said the officer resigned this February and has moved home to Newfoundland.
She said the Crown approved the charges on May 19 of this year and the former officer turned himself in at a court in Grand Falls, Nfld. once a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
Adam Jonathan Clarke, 23, has been charged with two counts of luring a child and is expected to make an appearance at a B.C. court next month.
Blain said Clarke is single with no children and he had been with the force for less then two years.
In Parksville, another officer appeared in court Tuesday to face one charge of luring and one of touching a young person for a sexual purpose.
Const. Seth Paine, 31, is charged with using a computer to communicate with the intent to lure a person under 18 years old and touching a young person for a sexual purpose. The luring is alleged to have happened between Jan. 15 and March 22, and the touching Feb. 21. Paine did not enter a plea.
A ban on publication prevents the release of any information that could identify the complainant or witnesses.
Paine, who appeared in a black leather jacket and black pants, was accompanied by another police officer and family members. He has been with the RCMP for eight years and in Parksville for two years.
Parksville detachment commander Staff Sgt. Bill Van Otterloo said Paine is now suspended. He said any files Paine was working on have been reassigned.
The investigation leading to the charges against Paine started in April. Police are not saying how the allegations came to light.
Paine was active as recently as March and took part in a high-profile investigation of missing bones from an archeological site in Parksville.
The investigation into Paine's conduct was handled by senior officers from the Port Alberni RCMP detachment, said Van Otterloo.
jfowlie@png.canwest.com
