Latest news with #criminalharassment
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Windsor police officer facing new charges, weeks after pleading guilty to criminal harassment
A Windsor police officer is facing new charges after pleading guilty to criminal harassment. Const. Joshua Smith was charged with uttering threats on May 22. Smith has been suspended with pay from the service since September 2023, when he was charged with criminal harassment and indecent telecommunication. According to the Windsor Police Service, Smith pleaded guilty to those charges in April 2025. He will be back in court in June to set a date for a sentencing hearing according to his lawyer Shane Miles who declined further comment. Meantime, new charges were laid for a separate incident. According to police, Smith is now facing a charge of uttering threats. CTV News has been unable to track down the specific details of the incidents in 2023 and 2025. Miles declined to comment on the new charge. WPS spokesperson Gary Francoeur says Smith is also facing one count of discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act for the 2023 offences. The new alleged offence will now trigger a separate investigation by the Professional Standards Branch of the Windsor Police Service. Here is the entire statement by WPS. The Windsor Police Service confirms that one of our members, Constable Joshua Smith, pleaded guilty last month to criminal harassment and indecent telecommunication. He has also recently been charged with uttering threats. As a result of his guilty plea to criminal harassment and indecent telecommunication, Constable Smith faces one charge of discreditable conduct in accordance with the Police Services Act, the legislation that was in effect at the time of the allegations. An internal investigation will also begin after the criminal case for uttering threats is completed. He has been suspended with pay since September 2023, under the provisions of the legislation governing police conduct in the internal disciplinary process is underway, we will not comment further at this time.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Calgary pastor known for library drag protests is back in jail after courthouse rally
Social Sharing The Calgary pastor known for protesting at children's library events is back in jail after he was arrested and accused of breaching the house arrest condition of his sentence. On April 10, Derek Reimer protested on the steps of the Calgary courthouse with supporters about 90 minutes before an appeal in one of his cases was set to be heard. Reimer was supposed to be on house arrest as part of his 12-month conditional sentence order (CSO) imposed in December by Justice Karen Molle, after she found the pastor guilty of criminal harassment and four counts of breaching his bail conditions. The convictions stem from protests at library drag storytime events, which Reimer has repeatedly called "pervert grooming sessions." A conditional sentence order is a jail sentence that an offender is allowed to serve in the community under court-ordered conditions. Reimer, 38, is permitted to attend court while on house arrest but the allegation is that he exploited the exemption by spending over an hour participating in a rally ahead of his court appearance. 'Not a crime' to arrive early, says defence lawyer In a statement provided to CBC News, Reimer's lawyer, Andrew MacKenzie, said "it is not a crime to arrive 90 minutes early to your own court date." "My concern is that he is not being punished by going to court too early, but that he is being punished for going to court too early and saying the wrong thing," said MacKenzie. "Throughout these proceedings, the line between criminalizing his actions and opinions has been blurry." Although Reimer is accused of breaching his CSO in April, he wasn't arrested until May 8. Bail denied MacKenzie also expressed concern about the timing of the arrest, which happened one day before his appeal of Justice Molle's conviction and sentence, meaning Reimer was not in attendance at the hearing. "Calgary police could not have picked a more prejudicial date and time to arrest [Reimer]," said MacKenzie. On Monday, Molle denied bail for Reimer, who has been in custody since last week. Reimer will be back in court next week for a hearing on the breach. In 2023, Derek Reimer was arrested three times in five weeks and charged with a number of offences as he protested Reading With Royalty events hosted at Calgary Public Library branches across the city. The reading events involve drag queens and kings reading stories to children who are encouraged to dress in their best outfit, cape or crown. During the protests, Reimer has called the drag kings and queens "perverts" whose actions are "wrong," "evil" and part of "the homosexual agenda." Harassment conviction Molle's convictions are connected to an incident on March 27, 2023, at the Saddletowne library, where Reimer attended and asked to speak with the manager. He proceeded to record their conversation, telling her she was "corrupting kids" and that if her library followed through on hosting the planned event, he would return. Reimer told her, "we're going to make this public and your name's going to be out there." He also said, "we'll be back … and I don't think you want that kind of attention." Reimer later posted the video to Facebook, encouraging his followers to contact the woman to express their "disgust" and encouraged them to "take action." Appeals Included in the social media post were the woman's name, the library phone number and the date and location for the next drag event. The defence appealed Molle's conviction and sentence. The appeal decision in that case will take place next week, one day before Reimer's breach hearing. In September 2024, a judge found Reimer not guilty on charges of mischief and causing a disturbance connected to an incident at the Seton Library in February 2023.
Globe and Mail
12-05-2025
- Globe and Mail
Toronto doctor has medical licence revoked after pleading guilty to harassment of more than a dozen girls
A Toronto doctor has had his medical licence revoked after he pleaded guilty to criminal harassment of more than a dozen girls and admitted to public masturbation. A tribunal at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found the facts admitted by Armen Parajian established professional misconduct and were grounds enough for a reprimand and to have his certification of registration revoked in March. The tribunal decision, released last week, says Parajian pleaded guilty in criminal court to harassing 13 female victims over a six-month period in the city's Beaches neighbourhood starting in November 2020. The ruling cites an agreed statement of fact court heard in 2021 that said Parajian would drive slowly near the girls in his white Jeep, noting 12 of the victims were between the ages of 10 and 15. On more than one occasion, it appeared to the victims that he was pretending to use his phone so he could record or photograph them, the statement of fact said. As a result, the victims reasonably feared for their safety based on their perception of the accused's conduct,' the statement reads. '... the accused was reckless as to whether his conduct of driving slowly in the vicinity of the victims would cause them to feel harassed. The tribunal ruling said Parajian, a thoracic surgeon, also admitted to masturbating in the passenger seat of his vehicle while parked on a residential street, as witnessed by an adult victim. It also noted that for about two years before the specified events, there were numerous reports of indecent exposure by a man in a white Jeep. A victim impact statement from a mother said that his actions have left her feeling stressed, sad and scared for the safety of her children and her community, and that she now worries when she has to take her child to a new doctor. 'I used to have a certain level of trust and respect for that physician simply because they were a medical professional. Now, that pre-established trust is gone,' the statement reads. 'I am anxious and skeptical of anyone who treats my children for the first time.' In another impact statement, parents wrote how their daughter kept having to look over her shoulder in the community, always on high alert. Character letters in support of Parajian, including from his wife and two friends, emphasized his kindness and compassion, according to the tribunal filings. For the criminal charges, Parajian was sentenced to probation for rehabilitation and ongoing community supervision for three years, which he has since completed. 'Dr. Parajian has been found guilty of a criminal offence relevant to his suitability to practise and his conduct would be reasonably regarded by registrants as disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional,' the tribunal wrote in its findings. 'Patients come to physicians for protection and healing. The publicity around these incidents has diminished the public's confidence that any physician they visit will care for them and they will be safe in their vulnerable relationships with them. Revocation will help maintain that confidence.' The documents show Parajian and the College jointly submitted that the penalty for his actions should be revocation of his registration.
National Post
11-05-2025
- National Post
Toronto doctor loses license after pleading guilty to targeting young girls
A Toronto doctor has had his medical license revoked after he pleaded guilty to criminal harassment of more than a dozen girls and admitted to public masturbation. Article content Article content A tribunal at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found the facts admitted by Armen Parajian established professional misconduct and were grounds enough for a reprimand and to have his certification of registration revoked in March. Article content The tribunal decision, released last week, says Parajian pleaded guilty in criminal court to harassing 13 female victims over a six-month period in the city's Beaches neighbourhood starting in November 2020. Article content Article content The ruling cites an agreed statement of fact court heard in 2021 that said Parajian would drive slowly near the girls in his white Jeep, noting 12 of the victims were between the ages of 10 and 15. On more than one occasion, it appeared to the victims that he was pretending to use his phone so he could record or photograph them, the statement of fact said. Article content As a result, the victims reasonably feared for their safety based on their perception of the accused's conduct,' the statement reads. '… the accused was reckless as to whether his conduct of driving slowly in the vicinity of the victims would cause them to feel harassed.' Article content The tribunal ruling said Parajian, a thoracic surgeon, also admitted to masturbating in the passenger seat of his vehicle while parked on a residential street, as witnessed by an adult victim. Article content Article content Article content Article content A victim impact statement from a mother said that his actions have left her feeling stressed, sad and scared for the safety of her children and her community, and that she now worries when she has to take her child to a new doctor. Article content 'I used to have a certain level of trust and respect for that physician simply because they were a medical professional. Now, that pre-established trust is gone,' the statement reads. 'I am anxious and skeptical of anyone who treats my children for the first time.' Article content In another impact statement, parents wrote how their daughter kept having to look over her shoulder in the community, always on high alert. Article content Character letters in support of Parajian, including from his wife and two friends, emphasized his kindness and compassion, according to the tribunal filings.
CBC
11-05-2025
- CBC
Toronto doctor loses licence after pleading guilty to criminally harassing several girls
A tribunal has revoked a Toronto doctor's medical licence after he pleaded guilty to criminal harassment of 12 girls and admitted to public masturbation. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario tribunal found the facts admitted by Armen Parajian were grounds enough for a reprimand and to have his certification of registration revoked in March. Court documents released last week say Parajian pleaded guilty in criminal court to harassing 13 female victims over a six-month period in the city's Beaches neighbourhood starting in November 2020. The documents say Parajian would drive slowly near the girls in his Jeep, noting 12 of the victims were between ages 10 and 15. It says Parajian, a thoracic surgeon, also admitted to masturbating in the passenger seat of his vehicle while parked on the street. A victim impact statement from a mother said that his actions have left her feeling stressed, sad and scared for the safety of her children and her community, and that her trust in the medical profession has also been shaken. The documents show Parajian and the College jointly submitted that the penalty for his actions should be revocation of his registration.
