A man who has lived in Hay River and Fort Smith has pleaded not guilty to three sexual offences involving an underaged girl in the Northwest Territories.
In February 2023, Hay River RCMP announced they had arrested and charged a 37-year-old man with several sexual and child exploitation offences.
In NWT Supreme Court on Monday morning ahead of trial, Justin Minute, now aged 39, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, luring a child and voyeurism between 2009 and 2020.
Any information that could identify the complainant is protected by a publication ban.
Crown prosecutor Morgan Fane said Minute is accused of touching the girl around the hips or waist in a way that made her uncomfortable, sending text messages to her for the purpose of facilitating an offence, and leaving his cell phone in a bathroom she was using with the camera on and pointed toward a shower.
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According to an agreed statement of facts, police analysis of Minute’s cell phone and Apple watch did not recover any photos depicting the bathroom where he is alleged to have been recording.
While jury selection had previously been scheduled to begin on Monday, Minute re-elected to be tried by judge alone last week.
His trial has been scheduled for five days.
