Evidence from a process determining admissibility was rolled into the formal trial of a man charged with the alleged removal of a child from Canada that began on Thursday in Cranbrook Supreme Court.
Three former members of a fundamentalist Mormon sect testified for Crown prosecutors in the case against James Marion Oler, who is accused of taking his underage daughter from Canada into the United States to marry a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS).
In his opening statement, Special Prosecutor Peter Wilson said the Crown乌鸦传媒檚 case relies on evidence proving that Oler should have reasonably expected his daughter to be placed in a relationship that would facilitate sexual offences.
乌鸦传媒淓stablishing that Mr. Oler intended his daughter to be the object of sexual exploitation requires proof that he acted with what is sometimes described as an ulterior intent,乌鸦传媒� said Wilson. 乌鸦传媒淚n the circumstances of this case, that requires proof that he did anything for the purpose of facilitating an act outside Canada that would be an offence under Section 153 of the Criminal Code, if it happened in Canada.乌鸦传媒�
Oler is associated with the polygamous community of Bountiful, south of Creston in the B.C. Interior.
A former FLDS member, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, said she drove with her parents in a van across the Porthill U.S.A border on June 24, 2004. Shortly after crossing the border, the van turned into a highway pullout and she left the vehicle to go into the woods to relieve herself.
After returning from the forest, she said another van had pulled up, which contained 乌鸦传媒� among others 乌鸦传媒� Jim Oler and his daughter. The whole group, except for one member, piled into the newly arrived van and continued to Cedar City, Utah.
Staying overnight, the group headed to Mesquite, Nevada, the next day, where the Crown witness and Oler乌鸦传媒檚 daughter were married in separate FLDS ceremonies, according to her testimony as documentation from an FLDS church record that listed 18 weddings that day.
Another church record, consisting of an audio recording by Warren Jeffs 乌鸦传媒� the FLDS president and prophet 乌鸦传媒� described a phone call that the church leader had with Oler, instructing him to bring his daughter to be married.
FLDS members, particularly women, are taught from birth about the importance of obedience to fathers and husbands for heavenly salvation purposes, according to testimony from another witness 乌鸦传媒� Warren Jeffs乌鸦传媒� own daughter, Rachel.
Rachel Jeffs left the FLDS four years ago, but grew up in the fundamentalist Mormon faith in Sandy Hill, Utah. She said she attended an academy led by her father that included at least two hours a day of training in FLDS religious doctrine.
乌鸦传媒淲e were taught that obedience is the first law of heaven,乌鸦传媒� said Jeffs. 乌鸦传媒淭o get into heaven, we were taught that we had to obey our priesthood head. The priesthood head consists of the father in the home or the husband, depending what station of life you were in.乌鸦传媒�
Rachel Jeffs said she was placed in an arranged marriage when she was 18 years old, and was her husband乌鸦传媒檚 third wife.
乌鸦传媒淚 knew I didn乌鸦传媒檛 really have a choice,乌鸦传媒� said Rachel Jeffs. 乌鸦传媒淭hey told me I had a choice, but I knew that if I said no, then they would kick me out of the church or乌鸦传媒 wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have any blessings. And I was told that if I didn乌鸦传媒檛 obey, I would lose my place in Heaven.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒溛谘淮溅I was taught that I should submit to my husband in obedience, that he was my leader and my priesthood head and as a wife, I should cook and clean and sew and have children and take care of the children.乌鸦传媒�
A third Crown witness, Brandon Seth Blackmore, testified that he last saw Oler and his daughter at a FLDS church gathering roughly a week before the wedding of Oler乌鸦传媒檚 daughter on June 25, 2004.
Brandon Seth Blackmore testified that Oler乌鸦传媒檚 daughter sang an old Mormon ballad 乌鸦传媒� This is Our Last Farewell 乌鸦传媒� on the guitar.
乌鸦传媒淚 remember he [Oler] was extremely emotional while she was singing the song,乌鸦传媒� said Brandon Seth Blackmore. 乌鸦传媒淭he atmosphere of the whole meeting was quite sad and emotional. He was crying.乌鸦传媒�
Brandon Seth Blackmore left the FLDS church in 2012.
During his upbringing, Brandon Seth Blackmore was taught that plural marriage, or celestial marriage, was a required religious doctrine in order to get into heaven.
乌鸦传媒淚 was taught that a woman乌鸦传媒檚 role was to sustain and support her husband and to conceive, bear and bring children forth through a celestial marriage,乌鸦传媒� he said.
The trial will continue on Friday in Cranbrook, with Crown prosecutors hoping to present closing arguments by next week.
trevor.crawley@cranbrooktownsman.com
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