ATHABASCA — An Athabasca man who pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of child pornography in June will have to wait even longer to learn his sentence after a miscommunication led to a further delay in Athabasca Provincial Court last week.
Michael Courtepatte, who pleaded guilty to the single charge in Athabasca Provincial Court June 28 was back in court Oct. 25 for a sentencing hearing that has now been moved to Nov. 22.
COVID-confusion apparently led to a miscommunication that saw federal specialized Crown prosecutor Monica Sabo travel to Athabasca last Monday only to learn there was no judge or staff physically at the courthouse and had to return to the St. Albert courthouse to appear before Judge Michele Collinson, who was presiding via WebEx from there.
Judge Collinson said she was concerned about the chain of custody of the evidence as she did not want it left with a clerk or her assistant to deliver to her, nor for it to be sent electronically so she, Sabo and Courtepatte’s lawyer Andrew Zebak agreed on the new date.
Judge Clifton Purvis is scheduled to be sitting in Athabasca Provincial court Nov. 22, but it will be confirmed with him beforehand and may be changed again as Sabo said she has a half-day of evidence to present.
Courtepatte was one of 26 men arrested across Alberta between June 20 and Sept. 17, 2020, by the Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE), a division under the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT).
On June 28, Sabo had the date range based on the evidence found amended to an earlier date; Nov. 1, 2005, and the end date remained as Sept. 2, 2020, the date Courtepatte was arrested.
