Soldier faces U.S. charges in Fredericton
Christopher West, 44, of Tracyville, accused of sex assault while on Calif. military exercise
A member of the Canadian Forces appeared in Fredericton provincial court this week to answer to charges of sexual assault and property damage - alleged to have happened in outside the country.
Christopher West, 44, of Route 101 in Tracyville, made his first appearance in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday on two summary charges: sexual assault and mischief causing damage to property.
What’s unusual about the case is where the relevant events are alleged to have occurred. The charges - laid by military police - refer to offences committed while on a military exercise with the Canadian Forces at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, in Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023.
Typically, a provincial court in Fredericton wouldn’t have authority over charges arising out of another district, let alone another country.