Man charged with child porn in custody awaiting lawyer
By Peggy Revell on April 7, 2018.
prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell A local man charged with child pornography offences in March by Oyen RCMP remains in custody as he waits to obtain a lawyer. Austin Palmer appeared before the Medicine Hat Provincial Court on Thursday from the remand centre, with adjournment requested to April 26. The court heard that while he has been approved by legal aid, he has waiting for the appointment of counsel. The 18-year-old was charged following a joint investigation between the Oyen RCMP and Medicine Hat ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit. Police say that on Feb. 28, they were contacted by a parent who had found concerning messages on her daughter’s cellphone between the daughter and an adult male. Palmer was arrested March 5, with a search warrant executed at his Oyen residence. A number of electronic devices were seized, while child pornography images were found during a forensic preview. Palmer has been charged with two counts of luring a child, possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, distributing child pornography and failing to comply with a probation order. Bank robberies Hurry up and wait — that’s where the case is at for the Winnipeg man facing charges over two bank robberies in Medicine Hat, who is in custody Regina. At a court appearance Thursday, defence lawyer acting as agent for 54-year-old Stephen Vogelsang requested adjournment to May 3, as Vogelsang awaits a bail review in Saskatchewan. Vogelsang was arrested and charged in Medicine Hat in October after two local banks were robbed. After his arrest, police agencies in Saskatchewan announced charges for two bank robberies in Regina, and one in Saskatoon. He secured bail in Medicine Hat but was then transferred to Regina where his bail was denied. The case made national news as Vogelsang is better known for his former job as a news director at CTV Winnipeg, and then becoming a journalism instructor at Red River College in Winnipeg from 2002-2011. Adjournment The matter of Shonna Scriven, 47, was adjourned to April 17 as defence counsel continues discussion with the Crown. During the appearance, the court heard counsel is waiting for information they can pass along to the Crown. Scriven remains in custody at the Calgary Remand Centre. She has secured bail following her arrest on Dec. 8 2017 where police seized 1.02 kilograms of methamphetamine and 226 grams of cocaine, worth an estimated $125,000 — but has not applied for bail on other charges stemming allegations of trafficking cocaine between Dec. 2 and 5. Police said the Dec. 8 arrest was the largest meth seizure in city history. 17
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