B.C. man facing extradition to U.S. for alleged sex crimes against stepdaughter
A Vancouver Island man is awaiting possible extradition to the United States on charges of sexual assault against his 13-year-old stepdaughter.
A B.C. Supreme Court ordered the man into custody last week pending a decision by the federal justice minister on whether or not to surrender the accused to authorities south of the border.
The accused, who is identified in court documents as J.L., is sought by U.S. federal authorities on behalf of the state of Utah.
According to the judge's decision published Tuesday, J.L. is accused of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter continuously from June 2012 to June 2014.
The offences are alleged to have occurred in St. George, Utah, where J.L. lived with his stepdaughter and her mother, to whom he was married at the time.
According to court documents, the stepdaughter told her mother about the alleged abuse in June 2014, but the allegations were not reported to police until that November.
J.L. left Utah that same month and U.S. authorities charge that he "fled" to Canada, while J.L. told the court that he was planning to move back to Canada as his marriage had ended.
"He says his return to Canada had nothing to do with the fact that the complainant spoke to the police that same day," B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brian D. MacKenzie said.
J.L. was charged in June 2015, prompting Utah police to issue a warrant for his arrest.
During a 2021 extradition hearing, J.L. testified that he left Canada in May 2015, travelling and working in several countries before returning to Canada in October 2019.
He testified that upon his return he obtained a B.C. driver's licence under the Sooke, B.C., address where the RCMP later found and arrested him on June 16, 2020.
"J.L. emphasizes the fact that he travelled throughout many countries on his Canadian passport between 2015 and 2019 and was never arrested or detained," the judge said.
"He points out he returned to Canada with his valid Canadian passport without incident. It was only after approximately nine months during which time he lived with his parents in Sooke, did he or his family have any contact with a law enforcement agency."
J.L. argued the five-year delay in seeking his extradition to the U.S. is contrary to the principles of fundamental justice under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The judge ruled the delay was not sufficient to render the extradition hearing unfair.
"What the U.S. authorities may or may not have done in trying to locate J.L. and whether their efforts were 'continuous and considerable'… is not a circumstance that in my view renders the extradition process unfair or amounts to a denial of fundamental justice such that this is one of those exceptional cases where the extradition proceeding should be stayed," the judge said.
The judge ordered J.L. into custody to await an extradition decision by Justice Minister David Lametti.
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, J.L. cannot be extradited to the U.S. until 30 days after the judge's commitment order. He has a right to appeal the order and apply for a judicial interim release from custody.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.