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| NEWS - November 18, 2008 |
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| Youth worker facing child pornography charges |
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By Andrew de Souza
Advocate Staff
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A former employee of Alberta Children and Youth Services’ Athabasca office, Edwin Parr Composite School, and the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre faces several charges related to child pornography and voyeurism.
According to court documents, RCMP believe the man encouraged teenagers he met through his employment to be videotaped performing sex acts.
Jason Andrew Keough, 34, of Athabasca is charged with one count each of possession of child pornography, making child pornography, voyeurism, and making voyeuristic material.
The allegations against Keough have not been proven in court.
Athabasca RCMP Sgt. Brian Scott said his detachment began their investigation in late August, with the help of the Alberta Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, which looks specifically at crimes against children that occur over computers and the Internet.
Scott said the investigation carried on until it "evolved to the point where we could, and do believe to our satisfaction … lay charges."
According to police and court documents obtained by the Advocate, Athabasca RCMP executed a search warrant on Keough’s Athabasca residence on Sept. 5. Seized were videocassettes with names on their labels; computer hard drives, CDs and DVDs, among other items.
Keough was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and released on a promise to appear in Athabasca Provincial Court on Sept. 8.
After several weeks of further investigation, Athabasca RCMP filed three more charges against Keough, including making child pornography, voyeurism and making voyeuristic material.
The offenses are alleged to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2005 and Sept. 5 of this year.
Police documents obtained by the Advocate suggest that Keough built close relationships with teenagers he met through his employment as a youth worker, and further allege that while Keough was employed at EPC, he told students under his care that he was involved in the pornography industry.
He allegedly encouraged the teenagers to engage in videotaped sex acts.
Since 2006, Keough worked as a case manager in the child protection unit of the North Central Alberta Child & Family Services Authority, which is a division of the Alberta Children & Youth Services ministry.
Trevor Coulombe, communications director with Alberta Children and Youth Services, said Keough was terminated because of the "serious nature" of the charges and the conditions of his release made it impossible for him to continue working there.
Coulombe would not comment on whether the charges against Keough involve children he may have worked with in his role as case manager, but did say that supports would be in place for anyone who may have been involved.
"It is certainly a matter that we take seriously, and in cases like these we have to make sure that kids and families who might be affected are supplied with the supports they need," Coulombe said. "That will be our number-one priority for sure."
Prior to working with Alberta Children & Youth Services, Keough was a native education coordinator at Edwin Parr Composite School, in the Aspen View Regional School Division from February, 2005 to September, 2006, after which time his contract was not renewed.
According to Aspen View associate superintendent Bernie Giacobbo, there were no issues with Keough while he was employed at EPC.
"We never had any complaints," Giacobbo said.
"We know that if there had been any, we would have seen something reported."
Prior to his employment at EPC, Keough’s first job in Alberta was as an aboriginal youth coordinator with the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre from 2004-2006.
ANFC executive director Penny Van Vliet, said the centre "never had any problems with him."
She said Keough passed all the necessary reviews and screening prior to employment, including criminal record checks for a youth worker, and background checks from Nova Scotia, where Keough lived prior to his arrival in Alberta.
Van Vliet urged any youths who may have information to come forward.
"We’re offering that if any youth had anything to do with him in a negative way and want to come and talk about it, we will direct them to the appropriate programs and counseling," said Van Vliet.
The Advocate has learned that Keough worked in Nova Scotia as a youth worker in several positions between 1992 and 2004.
Scott said the RCMP are continuing its investigation and encourage anyone who may have more information regarding the case to come forward.
Scott said his officers placed a great amount of importance on the investigation that led to the charges against Keough.
"Obviously it’s a major, major concern," he said. "Cases like this are a high priority. They are pretty serious in nature, not trivial by any means, and hopefully the courts will see this case as we see it."
Keough has yet to enter pleas to the charges. He will appear next in Athabasca Provincial Court on Dec. 22. |
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