Mountie sues for defamation
Lawyer, three others accused following release of bondage photos
A Coquitlam RCMP officer pictured in bondage images that were made public this summer claims the man who uncovered the photos and a well-known Vancouver lawyer have defamed him.
Cpl. James Charles Brown filed a notice of civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Thursday, naming Grant Wakefield and A. Cameron Ward as defendants, along with two unnamed people.
In March of this year, Wakefield became aware of photos of Brown on a website called Fetlife, featuring Brown in sexual poses.
According to the civil claim, Wakefield allegedly made two fake accounts on the website, befriended Brown and copied photos, postings, transcripts of online conversations and other personal material. Wakefield passed on that information to the RCMP.
Wakefield’s actions were an unlawful breach of Brown’s privacy, the suit alleges. The RCMP launched a code of conduct investigation shortly after learning about the photos.
It is also alleged that Wakefield defamed Brown through the media.
The claim alleges that Wakefield made false and malicious statements in a comment on an online article, an email to the writer of the article, tweets and posts on the ReSergeance Alliance blog.
The claim says the comments are understood to imply that Brown is corrupt and somehow tied to serial killer Robert Pickton.
The claim states that Brown’s involvement in the Pickton case was limited to two occasions in 1999.
In July of that year, Brown passed on the name of a person who claimed to have information about Pickton to
“It just shows you how somebody’s reputation can be destroyed when there is somebody out there with a vicious, malicious intent on the Internet.”
— BRYAN BAYNHAM
LAWYER FOR CPL. JAMES BROWN
a member of the Vancouver Police Department.
In August and September 1999, he spent six or 10 shifts conducting surveillance of Pickton.
Police are investigating Wakefield for criminal defamation.
As for Ward, he is accused of publishing three blog posts in August and October in “an effort to cause maximum embarrassment and damage” to Brown. The posts call Brown a “sexual sadist” and talk about his alleged ties to Pickton.
The lawsuit calls the posts false, malicious and defamatory.
“The defendants, or one or more of them, have been guilty of reprehensible, insulting, high-handed, spiteful, malicious and oppressive conduct,” the suit alleges.
Brown’s lawyer, Bryan Baynham said everyone is entitled to a personal life.
“It just shows you how somebody’s reputation can be destroyed when there is somebody out there with a vicious, malicious intent on the Internet,” Baynham said.
The allegations in the notice of claim have not been proven in court, and no statements of defence have been filed to date.
Wakefield and Ward could not be reached for comment.