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Nova Scotia intimate-photo case delayed as lawyers seek to narrow issues

Nov 28, 2016 | 12:00 PM

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. — The complexities in one of Canada’s largest prosecutions involving the alleged sharing of intimate images without consent has resulted in a delay.

Defence lawyer Joshua Nodelman, who represents one of the accused, says the case involving six Nova Scotia teens charged with sharing images of at least 20 high school girls will be back in youth court in Bridgewater, N.S., next month.

He says case-management discussions scheduled for Monday were put over until Dec. 12, allowing the lawyers to work out details to narrow the issues in the case.

Nodelman says a judge is also expected to hear applications at that date regarding applications by the media to gain access to some court documents in the case.

The lawyer says trial has been set for Sept. 5 to 8 for the six young men.

Two 18-year-olds and four 15-year-olds are facing charges of distributing intimate images without consent, and possessing and distributing child pornography. Their identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Charges were laid after Bridgewater police launched a year-long investigation in response to complaints from school officials, leading to the seizure of a number of electronic devices — mainly cellphones — which were handed over to the RCMP Technological Crime Unit for analysis.

The case is one of the first in Canada involving legislation introduced in late 2013 after the death of Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons, which captured national attention.

The 17-year-old attempted suicide and was taken off life support after a digital photo of what her family says was a sexual assault was circulated among students at her school in Cole Harbour, N.S.

The Canadian Press