Former B.C. pastor sentenced to 14 months in jail in child pornography case
A former pastor in B.C.'s Fraser Valley has been sentenced following an investigation into allegations relating to child pornography.
Johannes "John" Vermeer, who previously preached at the Main Street Church in Chilliwack, was sentenced to 14 months behind bars.
He'd been charged back in 2018 with two counts each of accessing and possession of child sexual abuse. Vermeer resigned when he was charged, and was later found guilty.
The 61-year-old was sentenced Wednesday to jail time, and will be expected to serve another 18 months of probation. Additionally, he'll be placed on the sex offender registry for 10 years.
At the time the charges were announced, the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment of the RCMP said its investigation started in 2015. Mounties called it a "very technology-based" investigation into offences dating back to 2010 and 2012, as well as that year.
The lead pastor told CTV News in 2018 that the congregation was informed of the charges a short time before they were made public, and that it was "shocking" for the church's more than 1,000-person flock.
Still, Main Street Pastor Shawn Vandop said it was the church that initially reported the allegations, following a tip from an outside company that monitors its computers.
Vandop said the RCMP was called immediately, and the computers were confiscated. At that time, he said, there were no suspect names or other details given to those at the church.
Charges were not announced for three years, something Vandop called a source of frustration, as Vermeer continued to work at the church until a month before he was charged.
Vandop said Vermeer did not work with children in his role at the church, of which he was a founder.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.