Trial date set for North Okanagan gym coach facing child porn allegations

VERNON – A North Okanagan gym coach accused of child pornography offences will stand trial in late 2018.

Chad Andrew McDowell, born in 1975, is charged with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography and importing or distributing child pornography, all with an offence date of April 1, 2017. He faces no charges of creating child pornography.

McDowell is due to stand trial in Vernon Supreme Court on Nov. 19 — about a year and a half after he was first charged with the alleged offences back in June 2017.

McDowell previously waived his right to a preliminary inquiry and elected trial by Supreme Court judge alone.

Past recreation and culture guides show McDowell ran Kalamalka Acro & Tumbling out of Lumby between 2014 and 2016. According to the guides, the programs were for a variety of age groups, ranging from pre-school to age 13.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

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