A former president of the North Peace Pride Society is facing charges of sexual interference, sexual exploitation, possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
The BC Prosecution Service confirmed the charges are for Sean Edward Leonard Gravells, and that the first two charges are alleged to have occurred on Dec. 29, 2023, while the child pornography charges are alleged to have occurred on Dec. 31, 2023, all at or near Fort St. John.
The society posted a statement on their social media page on Jan. 5, 2024, notifying the public that Gravells had been removed from its board, while distancing themselves from the charges. Gravells was not directly named in their statement.
"We want to clarify that the society itself is not implicated in any charges; these are isolated to the individual," they wrote.
"While some board members work directly with youth through library programs, this person was not among them. All board members involved in youth programs have undergone criminal record checks," they added. "Moving forward, we remain dedicated to community safety."
The society is also implementing record checks for all board members, their statement further notes.
The BC Prosecution Service said Gravells will be back in court next on January 29 for an arraignment hearing, with relevant publication bans in place.
No further comment will be offered by the prosecution service at this time, as the matters are now before the courts, they explained.
