Former B.C., Alta., public health doctor guilty of sex crimes against a child
A former medical health officer has been found guilty in Alberta of sexual assault and sexual interference of a child.
Dr. Albert de Villiers, 54, appeared in court Tuesday via video from his home in Kelowna, B.C. He was the top public health doctor in Alberta's north zone for 16 years before he became chief medical officer of health for B.C.'s Interior Health in 2020.
He was arrested in 2021 when he was managing COVID-19 vaccine delivery in British Columbia during the height of the pandemic.
During a judge-alone trial in January, an 11-year-old boy testified de Villiers showed him pornography and touched him several times at the doctor's home in Grande Prairie, Alta., between 2018 and 2020.
The boy, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, disclosed the allegations to his parents two years later.
Court heard De Villiers asked the child if he "knew where babies come from," then proceeded to show him videos.
During his testimony, the child said that his "heart turned black" after seeing the videos and that it "didn't feel right."
The child said that de Villiers told him that he could touch anywhere on de Villiers' body.
De Villiers denied showing the boy pornography and said during his testimony that they once watched a video about the life cycle of marsupials.
"I have significant concerns about (de Villiers') explanations for some of the events," said Court of King's Bench Justice Shania Leonard in her decision. "In relation to those things, I do not believe the accused.
"I find the complainant's evidence to be both credible and reliable."
Leonard said that it was difficult to precisely quantify how many times the child was assaulted.
"I find that sexual touching occurred on at least five occasions and as many as eight occasions," she said.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13, where victim impact statements will be heard.
Interior Health has said de Villiers was placed on general paid leave on June 9, 2021, then reassigned to administrative duties four months later.
In a statement on Tuesday, the health region said it was aware of the guilty verdict.
"Given the leadership and public-facing role of the chief medical health officer, and the critical importance for the incumbent to comply with all respects of professional standards, it is Interior Health's position that a person convicted of criminal charges of this nature is unable to fulfil the duties of the position," said the statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.