Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 30/99) - Mike Chauvin, the RCMP officer charged with nine sex-related charges involving three male children from the North, has appeared in territorial court and was released on $500,000 bail.

Chauvin, 39, will be returning to his family home in Bolton East, Que., until his next court date, scheduled for Oct. 20, 1999.

Chauvin was arrested in Timmins, Ont., last Sunday and is now facing four counts of sexual assault, four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of sexual interference stemming from complaints revolving around incidents that allegedly occurred during his posting in Lutsel K'e, Fort Smith and Yellowknife between December 1989 and June 1997.

In last Wednesday's proceedings, Judge Brian Bruser ordered a publication ban on any information that might identify the complainants' identities. On Thursday, the publication ban was extended to the particulars of the charges against Chauvin.

Chauvin, mustached with close-cropped, dark brown hair and wearing a blue suit, sat quietly while his lawyer, Greg Nearing, asked to have the reading of the charges scheduled for a later date.

"We are not able to proceed at this time," Nearing said to Judge Bruser, Wednesday. "The information (from the investigation) is coming in fast and furious and there simply hasn't been time to get a grasp on what the allegations actually are."

It was later agreed that the reading of the charges would occur the following day along with a bail hearing. Chauvin, since his arrest on Sunday, was remanded into custody at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre until his release Thursday afternoon.

Judge Bruser granted Chauvin a conditional release after posting $500,000 bail.

The terms of the release stated that, Chauvin is to keep the peace, cannot be present with anyone under the age of 18 and other public areas where children might be present, no contact with the complainants or their relatives. He must also give 24-hour notice to police in his home community if he decides to leave his father's address and he is not to enter the NWT until 72 hours prior to his next court appearance.

Chauvin is currently under suspension with pay.

Staff Sgt. Dave Grundy, reports that an investigation by the Major Crimes Unit with the Yellowknife RCMP detachment is still under way and further charges may still be forthcoming.