Police arrest an LGBT pride leader Dec. 31 for alleged sex crimes against children, prosecutors informed CBC News on Monday.
Former North Peace Pride Society (NPPS) President Sean Gravells of British Columbia faces charges of sexual interference with a person under 16, physical contact with a person under 16 for sexual purposes and possessing as well as importing or distributing child pornographic materials, Dan McLaughlin, a B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) spokesman, informed CBC News in a statement via email.
BREAKING: Sean Gravells, an outspoken LGBTQ activist and President of an LGBTQ pride organization in Canada was arrested for se* crimes against children and possessing and distributing child p*rn*grap*y pic.twitter.com/dSSX6SEBsx
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 10, 2024
Gravells has been removed from his position with NPPS since his arrest for the alleged offenses, NPPS said in a statement posted Friday to Facebook. The former pride president allegedly committed interference and exploitation crimes on Dec. 29, 2023 and child pornography crimes on Dec. 31, 2023 near Fort St. John, the BCPS spokesperson said, according to CBC News.
“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.”
The NPPS statement said “swift actions” were taken once the pride organization learned of the 39-year-old suspect’s “severe charges.” Gravells was NPPS board president from 2018 until his termination, an NPPS website biography that has been removed stated, CBC reported. He was not in direct contact with children through the role, the NPPS statement read. (RELATED: Former Mayor Of DC Suburb Gets 30 Years For Child Porn)
“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.”