Pleas of guilty to two sex-related charges have been tendered by the former chair of the Taber Municipal Police Commission.
Curtis David Paradee, 43, appeared in Taber provincial court on Tuesday morning and offered pleas to accessing child pornography and luring a child under the age of 18. The balance of seven other charges against Paradee, including making, possessing and distributing child pornography, have been withdrawn by the Crown.
“Mr. Paradee has entered a guilty plea with respect to two of the charges, one charge being using a computer to communicate for the purpose of facilitating an offence with someone under the age of 18 — he has plead guilty to that,” said Paradee’s attorney Doug Carle, in a statement to the media outside the courthouse. “The other charge he has plead guilty to is accessing child pornography, i.e. the complainant in the first charge.”
A pre-sentence report and psychological risk assessment have been ordered by Judge D.G. Redman, but the case has been adjourned until Feb. 7, at which point a date will be set for sentencing. A full day is expected to be required.
Carle maintained that the charges that have been withdrawn by the Crown with regard to his client are of a more serious nature than those for which he offered a plea.
“What has happened today, and what is of great note, is that every offence that he was charged with, which were numerous and which were quite serious, concerning possessing child pornography, making child pornography, distributing child pornography, et cetera, have all been withdrawn by the Crown. What we’re now dealing with is a sentencing hearing which will take place at a date that will be set next Tuesday with respect to the two offences that he has plead guilty to, which in our estimation, considering the offences that he was facing, are less serious in nature. That’s where we are right now. We’re extremely gratified that those charges that we felt from the outset were not supportable have all been withdrawn by the Crown.”
An agreed statement of facts signed by the principle parties was entered  as an exhibit during Paradee’s court appearance. The facts of the case were not read into the record, and are still subject to a publication ban concerning the identity of the victim. Paradee, who was present in the courtroom, confirmed for Judge Redman that he understood his plea.
Outside the courthouse, Carle declined to comment on his client’s motivation for his actions, but stressed that the victim involved in the case, who is an American citizen, was over the legal age of sexual consent in Canada.
“Of course, I can’t comment on what his purpose is. Mr. Paradee is in the process of taking full responsibility for it and receiving the treatment necessary to address the issues that brought us here. We would point out that in Canada, the legal age for sexual relations is 16. The complainant, as we have said earlier, was over that age. Where the offence is, is that a computer was used for the purpose of that communication, where are position is that if it had been on the street or on the telephone, or anything other than a computer, no charges would have been laid. That having been said, we want to stress that Mr. Paradee has taken full responsibility for the two offences he has plead guilty to.”
Paradee has been receiving treatment and enjoys the full support of his family, according to his attorney.
“That’s part of the what treatment he’s been getting since this first developed. They have been extremely supportive of him, they are extremely gratified to learn that all of the child pornography charges, which were extremely serious, have been withdrawn. He has steadfastly maintained his innocence with respect to the child pornography charges. However, it’s an extremely stressful time. Taber is a small community, close-knit community. Mr. Paradee is, and was, extremely well known — so it has a shock. He has already been found guilty in the eyes of public opinion to the extent of the more serious charges which were laid, and have now been withdrawn,” said Carle.
Carle admitted that he was having difficulty coming to an agreement during discussions with the Crown over sentencing for his client.
“We are at loggerheads, in disagreement on what would be the proper sentence in this particular instance, and not surprisingly. The prosecutor believes that a jail sentence should be imposed. We would state that the charges that have been withdrawn carried minimum incarceration periods, while the charges that remain have no minimum and no mandatory requirement for incarceration. It will really be up to the judge in this case, to make a determination based on law and fact, the agreed facts that have been submitted, on what the proper sentence is. We’ll take our time, at that time, to make our representations.”
While confirming that he will be seeking a conditional sentence to be served within the community, Carle added this determination would be made by Judge Redman, who has been seized with the case.
“We of course believe that society and Mr. Paradee are both better served by him receiving treatment and counseling, than the state paying for a period of incarceration. We of course believe that Mr. Paradee is absolutely no chance of re-offending of being of further risk to the community. A pre-sentence report and a risk assessment report has been ordered today, by the judge, which of course will be a major tool in him making a determination of what the proper sentence is.”
Paradee is accused of initiating an online relationship with an underage girl in New York, with offences alleged to have occurred between July and October of 2010.
A local businessman and volunteer, Paradee had been with the police commission for five years and had served as chairman for the four months prior to his arrest in May 2011. He has since resigned his position.
The Crown declined to make a statement to the media following Paradee’s appearance in court.