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Facebook posts can amount to criminal harassment, a prosecutor argued Tuesday in seeking a conviction against a Calgary preacher opposed to drag reading events.
But the lawyer for Derek Scott Reimer said his client’s conduct towards the manager of the Saddletowne library where a Reading With Royalty event was scheduled fell short of criminal behaviour.
Defence counsel Andrew MacKenzie said Justice Karen Molle should acquit Reimer on seven charges, including an allegation of criminal harassment of Shannon Slater.
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MacKenzie said Slater was at best “upset” by Reimer’s conduct and it wasn’t reasonable that she was fearful for her safety.
And the lawyer argued Slater’s fear was related to her reputation, not her well-being, and therefore the prosecution hadn’t made out the criminal harassment charge.
Reimer is on trial in connection with allegations from the spring of 2023, when he was on bail for protesting earlier Reading With Royalty events at public libraries, where drag kings and queens read stories to children.
Crown prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz said Reimer’s behaviour, where he went to the Saddletowne library on March 27, 2023, to confront Slater about an upcoming event and his subsequent Facebook posting constituted harassment.
Reimer video recorded the exchange in which he refers to the readings as “pervert grooming sessions” before Slater asks him to leave.
“In the video Mr. Reimer can be heard saying … ‘We’ll be back. I don’t think you want that attention,’” Dalidowicz told Molle.
Reimer continued saying, in the recording, “We’re going to make this public and your name is going to be out there.”
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The prosecutor said Reimer followed that up by posting the video to Facebook and wrote: “Shannon Slater manager of Saddletowne Calgary Public Library thinks it’s okay to have a pervert grooming drag queen story hour involving little children this Tuesday.”
The message went on to say “if you’re appalled at this as well she can be reached at (the library’s number).”
Dalidowicz noted that Slater was “being accused of pedophelia.”
But MacKenzie argued the lack of ongoing communications and the fact there was no evidence Slater was under any threat of physical harm meant criminal harassment hadn’t been proven.
“There’s no indication that there was to be any harm,” he said.
The lawyer noted Reimer’s post generated one message being sent to Slater which read “shame on you.”
It amounted to her being told “you should be ashamed of yourself for risking your reputation,” he said.
Molle will hand down a verdict on Wednesday.
KMartin@postmedia.com
X: @KMartinCourts
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