OAN’s Brooke Mallory
2:32 PM – Thursday, January 11, 2024
Prosecutors informed CBC News this week that police detained an LGBTQ pride leader on December 31st on charges of committing sexual offenses against minors.
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A B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) spokesman, Dan McLaughlin, sent CBC News an email stating that Sean Gravells, the former president of the North Peace Pride Society (NPPS), is facing charges of “sexual interference with a person under 16,” physical contact with a person under 16 for sexual purposes, and possessing, importing, and distributing child pornography.
Since his arrest for the alleged offenses, Gravells has now been fired from his leadership position with NPPS, the organization said in a statement shared on Facebook.
According to CBC News, a BCPS official claimed that the former society president had carried out his most recent child pornography offenses on December 31st, 2023, near Fort St. John.
“On December 31, 2023, one of our board members was arrested and is facing severe charges inconsistent with the North Peace Pride Society’s mission and code of conduct,” the NPPS wrote in the statement. “In response to the gravity of the charges, we have immediately removed this person from the board, emphasizing our commitment to our community’s values.”
According to the NPPS statement, as soon as the pride group learned of the 39-year-old suspect’s “severe charges,” “swift actions” were taken. A recently-removed profile on the NPPS website, shown below, noted that Gravells had served as board president of the organization from 2018 until his recent dismissal.
According to the NPPS statement, he “did not have direct contact with children” while performing his job duties.
“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,” the NPPS wrote in the statement. “Moving forward, we remain dedicated to community safety. We are implementing measures such as subjecting all board members to record checks to uphold the highest standards.”
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