Maximum time for child crime: People Vs Predators rally to revoke bail for offender

By Sheila Gunn Reid
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September 22, 2020

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In August, a Spruce Grove, Alberta mortgage broker was charged with multiple sex offences against young children. Rodney Biggar faces six counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual interference.

The mother of two of the alleged victims told CTV months ago that her daughters confided in her that, "a trusted family friend had been touching them inappropriately.”

Biggar is now back in the community, out on bail, as his legal proceedings wind their way through the court system.

The child advocates with People Vs. Predators (PvP) want Biggar's bail revoked and they want the community to be aware that Biggar is back at home with his family.

PvP, with the consent of the family of the alleged victims, staged a march and community awareness barbecue in Spruce Grove to protest the release of Biggar. I was there with PvP and about 30 others, including close friends of the alleged victims' family.

Bail has never been easier to get because prisons and jails are being emptied out to protect offenders and those awaiting trial from the coronavirus.

By June, Alberta's provincial prisoner population had dropped 35 per cent due to early release and alternative custodial arrangements related to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report in the Edmonton Journal, by August 2020, Alberta Corrections had just nine positive COVID-19 cases — three linked to the Edmonton remand.

Provincial jails house pretrial prisoners as well as anyone serving a sentence of two years or less.

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