Prince Albert abduction suspect makes first appearance in court
19-year-old man facing sex charges after girl, 8, taken from playground
The 19-year-old man facing sexual assault, kidnapping and abduction charges after this week’s Amber Alert in Prince Albert did not say a word during his brief first court appearance.
Jarrod John Charles appeared Thursday morning in Prince Albert provincial court, charged after an eight-year-old girl was taken Tuesday afternoon from a P.A. playground. Charles, who did not have a lawyer for Thursday’s appearance, was expected to be represented by Legal Aid during his scheduled appearance Friday.
Charles appeared wearing white, hooded coveralls and did not speak, only nodding his head when asked by the judge if he could hear and understand the proceedings.
Following “an extensive investigation,” Charles was charged Wednesday with sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, kidnapping, abduction, abandoning a child, criminal negligence and forcible confinement, P.A. police announced Wednesday night. Charles is also accused of breaching conditions.
The eight-year-old girl was found safe Tuesday around 8:40 p.m., less than an hour after the Amber Alert was issued. The girl’s family had called police around 3:30 p.m. to report her missing. Prince Albert police soon identified Jarrod John Charles as the suspect, arresting him without incident at a business in the 2900 block of Second Avenue West in Prince Albert around 11:15 p.m.
The mother of the eight-yearold girl said Wednesday in a Facebook post that her “sweetheart ... is good.”
“I really want to say thank you to everyone who has offered help, prayers and support,” the girl’s mother wrote in the brief Facebook post.
In another post Wednesday, she said her daughter was not unsupervised, but was with her grandmother at the time.
“She left just for five minutes to grab a bottle of water. Everyone who knows our family can confirm that we always care and try protect our daughter more than enough! Also she is very smart and well educated girl. She knew about kidnapping. Our example just shows it can happen to everyone!”
When the Amber Alert was activated, police said the girl had been playing at a playground in the Crescent Acres area of Prince Albert. A man is said to have entered the playground alone, hanging around for about 15 minutes. The girl is seen leaving the playground, followed by the man.
Police said the man is seen taking the girl against the school wall, then grabbing her and putting her in the back seat of his car. The man then climbed in to the front seat of the vehicle and drove away, police said in the statement.
Charles had previously been charged in 2016 with two counts of abduction, which were stayed in December. He was accused of taking two boys in La Ronge on Sept. 28, which led to an Amber Alert. Police received a report about two boys, then 10 and 8, who were missing and believed to be in the company of a man in a silver van.