Father accused of sex offences against his daughters denied bail

A rural Alberta father accused of sexual offences against his daughters was denied bail Monday.

The man, whose name is protected by a publication ban to protect his victim’s identities, is alleged to have committed a variety of offences against his three daughters in a rural compound west of Edmonton.

After hearing arguments at a hearing April 20, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn denied him bail Monday.

Evidence heard during the hearing, as well as the reasons for the denial, are protected by a publication ban.

The man faces 23 charges — 19 related to the sexual abuse and exploitation of his daughters, while the remaining are weapons offences.

In June 2017, the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, part of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), held a briefing about the investigation, which it described as the largest the unit had yet undertaken.

Police allege the father sexually abused his daughters, all under the age of 18, multiple times over six years. One was “procured for sex” with strangers on multiple occasions through Internet advertisements, instances which the father recorded on video.

Police said the man lived in the “compound” with the three girls, their two brothers and the children’s mother. The girls were home-schooled. The mother was described as a victim who was manipulated by her husband.