Jared Charles. Photo courtesy Prince Albert Police.
Prince Albert’s first-ever Amber Alert suspect is scheduled to undergo a preliminary hearing late this fall.
Jared John Charles, 19, appeared by video court on Friday as the hearing was set. He has been in custody since July 4, the same day an eight-year-old girl was abducted at a playground in the city. Her identity is now protected by a publication ban.
She was found abandoned that night, wandering towards an acreage outside the city and Charles was arrested from a business in the city soon after.
Now, he faces charges of aggravated sex assault, abduction, kidnapping, abandoning a child, criminal negligence, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and forcible confinement.
If his case goes to trial, he has chosen to be tried by judge and jury at the Court of Queen’s Bench.
His two-day preliminary hearing will take place at the end of November. Hearings of this nature are meant to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial, and are subject to publication bans.
Charles had previously been charged with abduction after two boys were taken from their La Ronge home, but the matter did not go to trial as prosecution found that Charles had been known to the boys and they had come willingly to play video games with Charles at his grandmother’s home in St. Louis.
Charles also faces a charge of failure to report to his probation officer in La Ronge back in May, which will be addressed at the November court dates.