Charge against teen linked to possible gang rape
Posted September 29, 2010 12:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MAPLE RIDGE (NEWS1130) – A 16-year-old boy from Maple Ridge has been charged with making and distributing child porn after pictures of a gang rape that took place over two weeks ago in Pitt Meadows ended up on Facebook.
The suspect is charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, so his name can’t be released.
Neil Mackenzie with the Crown says it’s unusual for someone so young to be charged with crimes like this, but “this is certainly not the first time that a young person has been charged with child pornography related offences. They’re relatively uncommon charges for young persons, but this is not the first one.”
He says he hasn’t heard any talk of raising the teen to adult court. But News1130 Legal Analyst Michael Shapray says it’s unlikely because he’s not accused of violence.
Meanwhile, RCMP Sergeant Peter Thiessen says two young girls came forward and police have asked anyone else who may have seen the assault at the Pitt Meadows rave to Tweet or text them, send Facebook notes or call Crimestoppers.
But Thiessen tells us no one else believed to have witnessed the assault has contacted police. “Our investigation is ongoing around the individuals that actually sexually assaulted this young girl. No charges have been laid in regards to that. We’re still aggressively attempting to secure evidence that would support charges.”
Thiessen says there may be a code of silence among witnesses and while some tips have come in, some of it is second and third-hand information.
