Trial to begin for Penticton city councillor accused of historic sex crimes | CBC News
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The trial for a Penticton, B.C., city councillor accused of numerous historical sex crimes involving youth is set to begin Monday.
James Miller, 60, is on trial for three counts of sexual interference, two counts of invitation to sexual touching, and one count of sexual assault against a person under the age of 16.
The charges stem from when Miller was a volunteer basketball coach in Sarnia, Ont., located about 250 kilometres southwest of Toronto, back in 1989.
The city councillor was charged with those offences back in August 2024 and, according to Sarnia local media reports, was released on $1,000 bail. He was charged with more sexual offences in November 2024 after two more victims came forward.
Miller has since been placed on a leave of absence from his city councillor position. He won a by-election seat in 2021, and was elected to a full term in 2022. He also works as the managing editor of the Penticton Herald.
The trial is scheduled for five weeks, and will be heard in Ontario Superior Court, in Sarnia.
A second trial is set to begin on May 16 to address the additional charges involving the two other alleged victims.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.