Criminal Justice Branch special prosecutor Peter Wilson approved criminal charges against four individuals associated with Bountiful on Wednesday.
The charges allege that polygamy and the unlawful removal of children under the age of 16 years from Canada with the intention that an act be committed outside Canada would be an offence against section 151 (sexual interference) or 152 (invitation to sexual touching) of the Criminal Code.
Winston Blackmore and James Oler both face charges of polygamy, while Oler also faces a charge for the alleged unlawful removal of a child from Canada. Brandon Blackmore and Emily Crossfield each face a charge for alleged unlawful removal of a child from Canada.
The charges were sworn in Cranbrook, and first appearance is expected to be Oct. 9 in Creston.
Regarding the charges Blackmore gave a statement to Global News stringer Mike Turner in Cranbrook yesterday, the Cranbrook Daily Townsman reported.
“Yesterday being August the 13, 2014, after learning that the RCMP was looking for me, I went into the local detachment of the RCMP in Creston at 7 o’clock, at which time I surrendered my passport, and was charged with the same charge I was charged with five-and-a-half years ago — that being polygamy, and nothing more,” Blackmore said.
“Anyone who knows anything at all about the original doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter-day Saints, which is the doctrine I follow, knows good and well that the principle of plural marriage and congregational living, where people work together for the good of the whole with a common view of taking care of everybody is part of that doctrine. Those are basic foundations of my faith.
“There is really nothing more to be said.”
He added, “I certainly get tired of this constant legal battle.”
One of his wives, Marsha Chatwin, has also spoken out about the charges.
The new charges came after the RCMP received a large volume of documentation seized by U.S. authorities after investigations into members of the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints in Arizona, Texas and Utah.
Crown counsel received two RCMP reports in July 2013 and January 2014. Some of that material was based on evidence considered in earlier charges against Blackmore and Oler, thrown out in 2009 when a judge ruled former B.C. attorney general Wally Oppal did not have the authority to appoint a third special prosecutor after the previous two recommended against approving charges.
Wilson declined to approve other criminal charges for alleged offences of sexual exploitation after determining the standard for approving charges had not been met.
He was sworn in as special prosecutor in January 2012 with a mandate to offer legal advice to police during their investigation of individuals associated with Bountiful, and assess the possible prosecution of sexual exploitation and alleged offences against minors in the community. His role was expanded two weeks later to include consideration of potential offences under the polygamy provisions of the criminal code.
—With files from Trevor Crawley, Cranbrook Daily Townsman