MOOSE JAW — Moose Jaw’s Crown prosecutor has withdrawn firearms and child pornography-related offences against a 39-year-old Moose Jaw man because the latter is no longer living.
Prosecutor Robbie Parker announced in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on Nov. 14 that he was withdrawing all charges against Calvin Dennis Longworth because the man had died. The Crown prosecutor did not provide any further details about the cause of the man’s death.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Judge Brian Hendrickson.
An official from the Crown prosecutor’s office in Moose Jaw later confirmed that Longworth had been held at the Regina Correctional Centre at the time of his death.
According to previous information, on Feb. 20, the Moose Jaw Police Service’s Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) and community policing division executed a search warrant during a firearms investigation.
While pursuing the search warrant, officers seized property, including a handgun, ammunition and electronic devices. Furthermore, the investigation led to officers charging Longworth with multiple firearms offences. They released him from custody with a court date, but, according to police, he failed to attend as scheduled, prompting police to issue an arrest warrant.
Meanwhile, during the firearms investigation, police executed several search warrants on the electronic devices that they had seized from Longworth.
While searching the devices, officers discovered child exploitation materials. This prompted the CIS unit to open a separate investigation into Longworth, with assistance from the MJPS’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit. This also led to the agency pursuing several more search warrants.
As a result of this new ICE investigation, police charged Longworth with making child pornography, accessing and possessing child pornography, arranging to commit a sexual offence against a child, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and sexual assault.
On the same day charges against Calvin Dennis Longworth were withdrawn due to his death, the Ministry of Corrections reported a 39-year-old man died at Regina Correctional Centre (RCC). The ministry has not confirmed the identity of the deceased.
The Saskatchewan Coroners Service was still investigating. Depending on the circumstances, the ministry said that details could be made public through the coroner’s inquest process.
Continuing, the ministry said the Coroners Service will make the final decision on whether to hold an inquest, subject to the requirements of The Coroner’s Act, 1999.
“Our primary concern in all correctional facilities is the safety of inmates, staff, the public and the facility itself,” the ministry added. “When a situation like this occurs, the ministry conducts an internal investigation to see if we can prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.”
