Men face sex charges involving minors

By Medicine Hat News on April 8, 2021.

Four men in Medicine Hat have been charged with child luring and obtaining sex with minors in exchange for drugs, money and alcohol, local police announced Wednesday.

They are also looking for more information from the public and potentially other victims to come forward.

The Medicine Hat Police Service says officers began investigating a complaint from a teenager in February and the subsequent investigation allegedly found that “three youth, ranging from 12 to 15 years old, had been communicating with adult men to provide sex.”

Three men named in the release – Cory James Dominaux, 36; Michel Beauchesne, 19; and Simarjeet Singh Bhathal, 25 – each face two or three counts of sexual assault on a person under 18, having sexual contact with persons younger than 16 and various other sex-related offences.

Another man, Cody Spencer Riddell, 21, faces single counts of the similar offences.

Three of the men are charged with trafficking a controlled substance. All are listed as living in the city and have individual court dates scheduled this month at Medicine Hat Provincial Court.

The legal age of consent in Canada is 16, and the complainants in the case are being offered counselling supports.

Anyone with pertinent information should contact local police at 403-502-8914.

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