Luke Strimbold, the former mayor of Burns Lake and ex-BC Liberal Party membership chair for the provincial executive board, has been charged with 24 sex-related crimes.
Many of them involve people who were under the age of 16 at the time.
Fifteen of the charges date to the time when he was in office, and another nine charges date to the time after he resigned in September 2016.
The charges involve four victims, three of whom were under the age of 16 years old when the counts are alleged to have happened. Court documents indicate all of the alleged victims were male.
WATCH: Burns Lake sex assault allegations
The counts involve charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and sexual exploitation.
All of the counts are alleged to have taken place “at or near Burns Lake,” according to court documents.
The counts allegedly happened between the following dates:
- Three counts between Oct. 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016
- Six counts between July 1 and Aug. 31, 2016
- Two counts between July 1 and July 31, 2016
- One count between July 1, 2016, and July 31, 2016
- Three counts between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2016
- Three counts between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2017
- One count between July 1 and July 31, 2017
- Four counts between July 1 and Aug. 31, 2017
- One count between Aug. 1 and Nov. 30, 2017
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None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Strimbold’s bail conditions say he is to have no contact with four people, and he’s to stay away from three addresses.
A publication ban prohibits identifying the names of the alleged victims in any reports.
He’s not allowed to possess or consume alcohol, “except that you may possess alcohol as approved by your bail supervisor in writing, in the course of your employment.”
Strimbold has also been ordered to stay away from any “public park, public swimming area, or community centre where persons under the age of 18 years are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, or a daycare centre, school ground, playground.
“The exception is: in the immediate presence of the parent of that person.”
Strimbold can’t have any contact or communication, directly or indirectly, nor be alone in the presence of anyone he knows to be, or reasonably appears to be, under the age of 18 years.
READ MORE: Special prosecutor appointed for investigation into former Burns Lake mayor
The B.C. Prosecution Service has appointed Leonard Doust as a special prosecutor in this case.
He was appointed “to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice in light of the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as a former elected municipal official with significant connections to the BC Liberal Party,” said a statement from the service.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said he’s aware of complaints about the difficulties of obtaining information about the case and said the ministry is looking into it.
“What I want to do is look at what has transpired and then if there’re ways to improve things then absolutely. But I do think that people should be able to have information,” said Farnworth.
He said he thinks more information needs to be given to the public. Farnworth said he’s heard more accusers may be coming forward.
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