"When they changed it, at our urging, to 16, that would have made it easier to prosecute," he said. The federal government raised the age of consent to 16 in 2008. Girls who were old enough to say yes said they voluntarily agreed to the sexual activity. "We did not have any evidence with respect to sexual exploitation because of the unwillingness of people to come and testify," he said.Īlso, the age of consent at the time of the marriages was 14. Oppal was aware of the hurdles that authorities confronted. Special prosecutor Terry Robertson is in charge of the polygamy case, Mr. authorities had difficulty finding evidence. Blackmore was charged with polygamy, said B.C. Wally Oppal, who was attorney-general when Mr. ![]() The release of information about the age of the brides raised questions yesterday about why authorities did not pursue a charge of sexual exploitation, which involves sexual touching by a person in a position of authority over the victim. "That's wrong," he said before walking away. Blackmore denied that he married four 15-year-old girls. In a brief exchange outside the court today, Mr. He reviewed our information and provided clarification and information." "At that point in time, through information from a number of sources, we had compiled a list of individuals thought to be wives and his children. Blackmore came to the clinic and she showed him the list compiled by the police, Constable Livingstone said. and the other half devoted to the FLDS church under Bishop James Oler.Mr. The religious settlement is made up by two polygamist Mormon fundamentalist groups, one half belonging to Blackmore’s FLDS offshoot Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc. He served as bishop of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Mormon community of Bountiful for two decades before being excommunicated in 2002 by Warren Jeffs, president of the fundamentalist Mormon Church. both of which are now on the block.īlackmore earned a reputation as one’s the country’s most prolific polygamists. It appears what was left were the property and assets of Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc. By July 2017, his debt soared to $2,387,766.01, which was four times more than the value of assets seized.īy 2017, Canada Revenue Agency seized the last of his Canadian assets in partial repayment for his more than $2.3 million owed. It is not clear what was seized and sold. Sheriffs Services to seize and sell some of his assets. In March 2015, Blackmore reportedly owed Canada $2,069,501.59, and shortly after the federal court granted the revenue agency’s request for the B.C. At one point, Blackmore claimed $6 million in assets and owned dozens of businesses that employed his congregants. “He has been strapped financially, especially with his house arrest, and has a lot of people relying on him for support.” File photoĪpart from Blackmore’s conviction, he was also being pursued for millions of dollars by the Canada Revenue Agency for unpaid income taxes, penalties and accrued interest. The school is only partially funded by the government, so my dad’s company makes up the difference so the school is able to employ the teachers working there,” she told Postmedia. “Blackmore Farms is my father’s business - the only way he supports his family and also supports the school in Bountiful. Hanna added there are more than 100 families living in Bountiful and the sale of the assets will “destroy the community.” She said one of the buildings owned by the church organization is the Bountiful community centre. Hanna Blackmore, one of the religious leader’s daughters, said she was surprised and disgusted after learning about the sale of her father’s property. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward ORG XMIT: CPT126 shares a laugh with six of his daughters and some of his grandchildren Monday, Apnear Creston, B.C. Winston Blackmore, the religious leader of the polygamous community of Bountiful located near Creston, B.C. It is believed he has 27 wives and 149 children. ![]() “There’s a lot on the line there,” Sandstorm told Postmedia on Sunday.īlackmore was sentenced to six months house arrest and 12 months probation for practicing polygamy in June 2018. ![]() This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.
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