A Facebook group berating gays and lesbians in the Canadian Forces is being investigated after publishing personal information about a B.C. transgender woman.
Comox resident Katherine Bickford, a former member of the military, said the “Cpl Bloggins” group crossed a line last Saturday when it posted pictures of her family online.
“That became the point where this went beyond making us angry and got to the point where we were afraid,” Bickford said. “That’s when it became personal.”
The group also shared the name of Bickford’s partner, who is an active Canadian Forces member, and revealed where she works.
Fed up, Bickford reported the online harassers to military police.
“There are a lot of good people in the military who have been harmed by this,” she said. “A lot of people are suffering from [post-traumatic stress disorder], this kind of stuff doesn’t help them. It certainly doesn’t help me.”
The Canadian Forces told CTV News the “Cpl Bloggins” Facebook group has been investigated in the past, and in January two members of the military were arrested for allegations of defamation and inappropriate comments.
The page appears to have been taken down, but another popped up under the same name on Jan 26.
Military police have launched another defamation probe into the new page, but the Canadian Forces said it cannot comment while the investigation is underway.
“The Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Forces Military Police take seriously all allegations of inappropriate conduct by Canadian Armed Forces personnel,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“In all cases, investigations are conducted to determine the facts, analyze the evidence, and if warranted, lay appropriate charges.”
Bickford suspects a military member could be the one feeding the “Cpl Bloggins” page information about her family.
Though she’s concerned for their safety, Bickford believes she did the right thing exposing the group.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Lisa Rossington
