A Tillsonburg, Ont., man arrested in connection with the defacement and theft of Pride flags in Norwich Township last spring had his charges withdrawn late last year, court documents show.
Jacob Dey, 48, of Tillsonburg, had been taken into custody on June 1, 2022 and subsequently charged after several Pride flags were reported stolen or vandalized in the community between May 20 and 24.
Court documents show Dey was accused of mischief for “obstructing, interrupting or interfering with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of property, to wit: Pride flags” and theft under $5,000 after Pride flags were taken from the property of Norwich BIA.
Both charges were withdrawn at the request of Crown prosecutors in early December 2022, according to the court documents. Their withdrawal was first reported by the London Free Press.
In an email, Dey’s lawyer, Karl Toews, confirmed that the charges were withdrawn after Dey completed a direct accountability program.
“Other than that, both Mr. Dey and I have no further comment on this matter,” Toews said.
Direct accountability provides adults facing certain criminal charges a voluntary alternative to formal prosecution, with accountability coming through community service, programming, writing a letter of apology, or restitution, according to St. Leonard’s Community Services London and Region. Following the completion of the program, charges are withdrawn.
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An inquiry to the Ministry of the Attorney General was not returned by publishing time.
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The Norwich investigation also saw police charge a 16-year-old with two counts of theft under $5,000. The current status of those counts is unclear.
Three weeks after his arrest, Dey made local headlines when he appeared before a Norwich Township council meeting and engaged in a 30-minute rant, arguing against gender inclusivity and sexual identity education in schools, and comparing the support of Pride and the Pride flag to Nazi Germany.
“We can think of the Napoleonic time and also think of the 1930s where artists stood up and started a social movement and got into politics,” Dey said, referring to Adolf Hitler’s rise in Nazi Germany, according to a recording of the meeting.
“I’m not saying that compares totally to what is happening today, but a movement is extremely, extremely dangerous, and a movement works strictly on a person’s demands.”
In a Facebook post, the Oxford County Pride Committee said the news of the withdrawn charges was “very disheartening, sad and worrisome.”
“The outcome of these charges are dangerous,” the post reads.
“Please know the Oxford County Pride Committee is committed to continuing to advocate, educate, and promote positive perspectives for our 2slgbtqai+ community. We are mobilizing community leaders, consulting with the OPP, and connecting community members to ensure safety for all!”
The Norwich incidents were among several investigations across southwestern Ontario last year involving anti-LGBTQ2 acts.
In Ingersoll, a Pride crosswalk was defaced with paint, while in Tillsonburg, a business owner reported two incidents in which their Pride flags were burned.
OPP’s Leamington detachment also reported the theft of three Pride flags from three schools in the municipality in June, while in September, a Pride flag was found hanging in a noose from the propane tanks of a food truck at the Petrolia and Enniskillen Fall Fair.
It’s not clear if any suspects were charged in connection with those incidents.
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