by P.J. Harston
Northern News Services

NNSL (NOV 15/96) - Crown lawyers want more time to prepare their case against an Enterprise councillor charged with molesting children.

In a territorial court hearing Wednesday, Crown lawyer Les Rose asked for a preliminary hearing into six sexual assault charges to be delayed until early next year.

The preliminary hearing is now scheduled to be held Jan. 8 in Hay River. It was originally set for Nov. 21.

Meanwhile, Jake Klassen, who Mounties charged with the crimes in September, remains free on $40,000 bond.

Supreme Court Justice John Vertes upheld his bail at a review hearing last week. Vertes said the Crown failed to convince him that Klassen was a danger to the public.

However, he added more conditions to Klassen's bail release, which already includes staying away from public places where young girls might be, staying out of Enterprise and residing in Yellowknife.

Klassen must now report to Yellowknife RCMP twice per week, notify police of any address change, have no contact with any complainants, surrender title documents relating to his house in Enterprise to the court and turn himself in to police 48 hours before his preliminary hearing.

Klassen, a 57-year-old husband who has been married for nearly 40 years, now lives in downtown Yellowknife as part of bail conditions.