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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Underage sex investigated

Teen expected to be charged

By: Stephane Massinon

Posted: 09/8/2010 6:17 AM

A suspect is arrested in the alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl in a Calgary schoolyard Monday.

CALGARY — A 16-year-old boy will likely be charged with having sex with a 12-year-old girl he met online in front of their friends in a Calgary schoolyard, police said Tuesday.

The pair met last week on a socialnetworking site and agreed to meet at a baseball diamond, police said. Each brought their male and female friends with them to drink on Monday afternoon.

"This was not a mob attack on a child walking through the park. This was a group of youths that knew each other, that had been consuming alcohol and a sexual act took place. That’s what we’re treating it as," Staff Sgt. Leah Barber said.

Because a 12-year-old cannot legally consent to have sex with a 16-yearold, the act is being treated as a sexual assault. Since the victim had not been interviewed yet, no charges have been laid.

One neighbour said she saw the teens from her window and said they were obscene, loud and intoxicated. "I’m trying to make dinner and there’s a porn show going on," she said.

She did not know the victim was only 12 and tried not to pay attention. As she contemplated calling police, they arrived.

Rasheda Bee, who lives further away, said she saw the pair but wasn’t sure what they were doing. Since there were others around on a bright day by a school, she didn’t think the victim was in trouble.

"I couldn’t figure what was going on there," said Bee.

She got her husband and he thought the pair was playing around and told his wife to let them be.

Knowing what she knows now, she wishes she’d called police.

"There was a conflict in my mind, ‘What should I do now? What’s going on there?’ " she said Tuesday.

There were 10 youths, including the boy and girl, who were around the baseball bleachers.

"There is no evidence that the witnesses encouraged the sexual assault, however, a cellphone belonging to one of the youths was checked. At this time, no photos or videos have been recovered from the witnesses," Barber said.

All 10 had been drinking alcohol.

"Whenever you mix alcohol and youth, that’s usually a disaster waiting to happen. In this case, I don’t think the alcohol helped any," Barber said.

Police said a witness inside the school saw what was going on and called 911. The witness made a video of the aftermath and police are now reviewing the footage.

— Postmedia News

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