Crown offers settlement proposal in historic sex crimes case

LETHBRIDGE – Resolution discussions are reportedly ongoing in a case that’s centred around sex crimes that allegedly occurred in the 1980s and 1990s.

The 49-year-old accused cannot be named as he was a youth when some of the incidents allegedly happened.

During a brief appearance in Lethbridge Provincial Court on Wednesday, Feb. 28, an agent speaking on behalf of defence lawyer Robert Bissett, explained that they just received a settlement proposal from the Crown, which they are considering and may counter. The matter was then adjourned to Mar. 14 to allow those discussions to continue.

According to Picture Butte RCMP, they were contacted by a victim in September of 2016 who reported that when she was a child she had been sexually abused by a man known to her. Through their investigation, police say three additional women came forward with allegations that they had suffered similar assaults.