Second Folk sex assault charge laid
Police investigated three allegations with no charge in one case, charge stayed in second
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Friday, January 27, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A 24-year-old man has been charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault during a music festival six months ago.
A single charge of sexual assault was laid against Brendan Lehman, RCMP stated in a news release Wednesday.
The assault is alleged to have taken place July 16 during at the Folk on the Rocks festival.
Lehman is next scheduled to appear in Yellowknife territorial court on March 14.
Following the festival - during which there was an announcement about festival goers needing consent and social media posts alleging inappropriate contact - police said they were investigating three incidents.
It wasn't immediately clear if Lehman was the third case police were investigating.
One case resulted in no charges.
A second case saw a man charged with sexual assault in connection with inappropriate contact in the crowd in front of the beer garden stage.
The charge was stayed, which means the prosecution has stopped but could resume within one year and the man agreed to a peace bond.
Whitehorse Crown prosecutor David McWhinnie said the charge was stayed because new information had come forward that reduced the likelihood of conviction.
A news release from the man's defence lawyer, Peter Harte, stated witnesses who were with his client provided another version of the story after which the Crown decided to stay the charges.
