Sex offender facing new charges

By Delon Shurtz
Southern Alberta Newspapers

A 32-year-old Coaldale man charged earlier in the month with several sex-related offences against a young girl, is facing new charges in relation to two more teenagers.

Trevor Pritchard, who is a registered sex offender, faces additional charges of sexual assault,sexual assault with a weapon,sexual touching of a person under the age of 16,and communicating with a person under 18 years of age to commit a sexual-related offence.

Pritchard was in Lethbridge provincial court Jan. 25, where he faced the new charges, as well as original charges of sexual assault, touching for a sexual purpose a person under 16 years of age, abduction of a person under the age of 16, uttering threats, communicating with a person under 16 years of age to commit a sexual offence, and communicating with a person under 18 years of age to commit a sexual offence.

RCMP laid the first charges Jan. 18 after they were notified of a sexual assault the previous day on a teenage girl at a residence in Coaldale. The initial complaint was lodged with the Lethbridge police, then turned over to the Coaldale RCMP. As police continued their investigation, they identified two more young victims.

Pritchard, who remains in custody at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre and appeared in court by closed-circuit TV, has been ordered not to have any contact, direct or indirect, with the complainants. The victims cannot be named under a publication ban.

The matter is scheduled to be back in court Feb. 16.

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