Graphic and disturbing details of the investigation into former common councilor Donnie Snook have come to light with the release today of search warrants in the case--albeit heavily redacted.
The warrants reveal someone using the same internet IP address as Snook's home on Martha Avenue engaged in lengthy chats discussing sexual activities with numerous young boys. The warrants state someone at the home posessed the technical knowledge and ability to steal Wi-fi from others at nearby addresses; however, the Mac address signal was traced to Snook's home address.
To an undercover officer playing the role of a fellow pedophile, the chat user described himself as "100% boy lover" plauged by "forbidden passion that haunts [him.]" The person also described "playing" with at least 3 boys, engaging in "cam sessions" with others, and shared video depicting a prepubescent child engaged in a sex act.
Of the victims, chat user writes, "little boys like pleasure to [sic] you know...its society that has messed them up with shame and hate...i NEVER hurt. i treat them like gold...they are little princes." Over a thousand images with child-related pornographic content were shared on the network.
The documents also indicate Snook attempted to grab a laptop and flee through the back door when police came to arrest him at his home on January 9th.
Snook's bail hearing is scheduled for March 11 pending completion of the police investigation. Until then, he has been remanded to provincial jail. Since the initial charges came to light several more people have also contacted city police and RCMP alleging they have been sexually abused by the 40-year-old.
His lawyer, Dennis Boyle, says he will enter a plea on March 11.
One of our road warriors sent in this picture of an accident Sunday on Highway 1 near Hammond River. A tractor trailer had skidded off the road and had to be removed.
The Department of Natural Resources is on the scene today excavating some soil contaminated by a fuel spill after the weekend crash.
Photo credit: Brett Stevens
We could soon know more about the case against former common councillor Donnie Snook.
Search warrants in the case are scheduled to be released later today although some of the information will be blacked out.
The two-term councillor resigned last month amid 8 charges relating to child pornography, child exploitation, and sexual interference with a child under 16. The 40 year old was arrested at his home on January 9th and resigned as a Councillor on the 17th.
The best and brightest of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will be getting some kudos at the 3rd annual Salty Awards.
Voting is now live for the social media awards which includes categories like Twitter Person of the Year, Best Facebook, and a new award for the Best Instagram account.
Co-chair Craig Allen tells CHSJ News received over 500 nominees and they're hoping a large number of Saint Johners will vote as well.
Former winners include the Saint John Alehouse, Jonathan Huberdeau and Piece O'Cake Custom Creations. Allen says since social media is an ingrained part of many of our lives it makes sense to recognize the locals who make valuable contributions.
To vote for your faves, click here
Some massive sketches by famed Saint John artist Miller Brittain are getting a new lease on life, thanks to the efforts of staff at the NB Museum.
Conservators are working to repair the 9-by-9 foot drawings, which were intended as the basis for a mural at the old TB hospital.
Conservation intern Moya Dumville has been removing decades-old tape inch by inch and making repairs using stable materials. The sketches, made for a proposed mural for the walls of the Saint John Tuberculosis Hospital in 1941-1942, depict people suffering from tuberculosis, the treatments of the time and the hope for a cure.
Conservator Claire Titus tells CHSJ News it's a shame that improper handling has done some damage to the works, which consist of large squares held together with paper tape. Over the years, someone had applied masking tape to hold them together--and while that was done with the best intentions, it now is damaging the works and needs to be removed.
The public are invited to see the sketches and the restoration work in person at the NB Museum Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:30-3:30pm; Thursday from 1:30-3:30pm and 5:30-7:30pm; and Sunday February 17 and Sunday February 24 from 1:30-3:30pm.
One Change has big plans for programming at the Nick Nicolle Community Centre on Victoria Street when it takes over running the day to day operations in a few months time.
The President of One Change Scott Crawford says there will be programmes on offer for everyone in the neighbourhood, not just recreation for young people.
Crawford is talking about pre-natal classes, early childhood education, which he calls essential, so children from the Old North End don't find themselves behind even before they start their schooling and adult education programmes including computer instruction.
PotashCorp New Brunswick giving a matching contribution of $250,000 to the Imperial Theatre.
That means the theatre has to come up with $250, 000 themselves in order to get the corporate donation.
Jamie Whittaker of the Imperial Theatre's board says this kind of contribution engages the community in something they already own.
He says a non-profit charity organization runs the theatre now but it was started by Saint Johners donating money so it's really owned by the whole community.
Whittaker says the Imperial Theatre has been restored now it just needs to be maintained.
Common Councillors will learn everything they need to know over the next several weeks about a public-private partnership to bring clean drinking water to the city with construction of a water treatment plant on the east side.
A number of meetings are being scheduled with the aim being to draw up an application for funding by early April.
Mayor Mel Norton, who would like to break ground later this year, is adamant the city will not be giving up control and ownership of its water.
Common Council will be getting a value for money study in the next little while to give a better idea whether this arrangement makes financial sense for the city.
The city of Saint John will soon be posting on its website the pay scales and salary ranges of its employees.
The idea coming from Common Councillor Greg Norton who argues it will provide taxpayers with the opportunity to compare the performance of an organisation with what's its paying people to do the job.
Fellow Councillor John MacKenzie is hoping Mayor and Council will be leaders of the pack with publicising what they get paid.
Norton points out there will be no names used and this is already being done by the city of Fredericton on its website.
One Change getting a vote of confidence from Common Council and will be taking over management and day to day operation in a few months of the North End Community Centre on Victoria Street which is officially called the Nick Nicolle Community Centre.
West Side Common Councillor Bill Farren is not hesitent to voice his support and fellow Councillor David Merrithew says he has seen how well this type of arrangement can work in the south end with the Boys and Girl Club.
City Manager Pat Woods telling Council One Change will be more responsive to the needs of the community and offer increased programming for both young people and adults.
A little more than 900 homes and business will find making supper challenging tonight with many of them in the Moncton area due to a lack of power.
This morning, NB power was reporting 5500 customers were in the dark. The outages caused by high winds from Sunday's storm.
The Province's conflict of interest commissioner says former premier Shawn Graham broke provincial rules because of his involvement in his government's decision to give financial help to a construction company.
Patrick Ryan has released his report into allegations that Graham was in a conflict of interest in 2009 when his Liberal government gave a $50 million loan guarantee to Miramichi-based Atcon.
Ryan says Graham should have removed himself from cabinet discussions over the loan guarantee because his father was a director of Vanerply, a Swedish subsidiary of Atcon, and a paid consultant of Vanerply and other Atcon companies.
Ryan says while Graham didn't check whether his father had ties to Atcon at the time the loan guarantee was offered, it was his responsibility to know.
Despite the loan guarantee, Atcon went bankrupt in 2010. Ryan is recommending Graham be fined $3,500 and reprimanded.
Graham issued a statement saying the fault was an oversight' on his part and he accepts full responsibility for his actions.
If you can safely get out of your driveway, Canadian Blood Services is hoping you will consider driving straight to 400 University Avenue.
Peter MacDonald of Donor and Clinic Services says this is the fifth week they have experienced clinic impacts due to weather this winter.
109 appointments remain in Saint John for clinics this week.
If you can't keep your appointment to donate, you are asked to cancel it and allow CBS the chance to book another donor.
To book an appointment, 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
The 2013 Red Triangle Award winners are the Sisters of Charity.
The Saint John Y bestowing the honour on the group of women because they embody the spirit of giving and service.
Sister Mary Beth McCurdy tells CHSJ News they along with the Y have been going for 159 years.
She says they have walked through periods of time with a goal to be of service to women, children and famillies.
The Sisters of Charity will get their award at a gala awards night on April 17th at the Trade and Convention Centre.
The Y's Strong Kids campaign goal is $157,000 for 2013 which President Shilo Boucher tells us is higher to accomodate a growing need in the community.
All proceeds from the Red Triangle awards go toward the Y's Strong Kids campaign.
Our Sunday storm has lasting impact in the form of power outages.
More than 3200 NB Power customers province wide are without electricity including many folks throughout the Rothesay region from Nauwigewauk and Darling's Island to the Kingston Peninsula.
At 11 this morning, that number exceeded 5500 homes and businesses.
No suprise here...the City declaring an overnight snow parking ban for the uptown and south end between 11 tonight and 7 tomorrow morning.
If your vehicle is left on the street, it will be towed at your risk and expense.
The City provides 6 lots for the use of on-street parkers.
You can see the list by clicking here
All schools are
closed in the Anglophone South School District and the Anglophone West
School District along with the Francophone South School District which
includes Samuel de Champlain.
The Saint John campus of the Community College is closed.
Classes at the Community College campus in St. Andrews will not be starting until 10:30 this morning.
Somerset pre-school is closed for the day.
Eastern College and Eastern Trades College are both closed.
The Academy of Hair Design is closed.
All five libraries in the Saint John region are closed.
Grand Manan Library, 1144 Rte 776, for the whole day
Kennebecasis Public Library, 1 Landing Ct., for the whole day
Le Cormoran Library, 67 Ragged Point Rd., for the whole day
Saint John Free Public Library, Central Branch, 1 Market Square, for the whole day
Saint John Free Public Library, East Branch, 545 Westmorland Rd., for the whole day
Saint John Free Public Library, West Branch, 621 Fairville Blvd., for the whole day
The S-N-B Wood Co-op in Sussex is closed.
Family Ties Daycare will be closed.
Dr Mark Lowney's Office
Boys and girls Club closed and all programs - cancelled for the day
Habitat Re-Store closed.
AJ's on the West Side closed
Classes at Ready Arc Welding are closed
All classes at the Atlantica Centre for the Arts are cancelled.
The Princess of Acadia crossing today has been cancelled because of the high winds.
Now that the Alward Government has released its regulations to move forward with shale gas exploration, the big question is whether the public, by and large, will buy in.
The President of the Atlantica Centre for Energy John Herron tells CHSJ News the government will need what he calls "social licence" to make this a go.
To achieve that, Herron says the provincial government will have to show it's willing to enforce its own regulations because without enforcement, they're not worth the paper they're written on and if something does go wrong, the government will have to demonstrate it's got the landowner's back.
Common Council is being urged by city staff to turn over management and operation of the North End Community Centre on Victoria Street, officially named the Nick Nicole Community Centre, to One Change which is promising an increased level of service.
One Change says it can operate the community centre with a yearly budget of more than 184 thousand dollars, over 158 thousand dollars of which would be provided by the city.
The recommendation calls for One Change to take over at the beginning of June. The Centre will be closed for 6 to 8 months for work to be done to the exterior of the building.
Security at schools in the Anglophone South School District is being enhanced in the wake of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut before Christmas.
There will be new I-D badges for school district workers who are not attached to any particular school but perform jobs at several of them when the need arises.
Superintendent Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News school safety is always uppermost in their minds at the school district and there are some schools in Saint John which have an intercom outside and you have to be buzzed in.
The new logo for the school district was designed by a grade 9 studeent at Hampton High, Melanie Levesque in her art class.
