Ottawa/Chilliwack – John Vermeer, a former pastor in Chilliwack (Main Street Church), is now serving a 14-month jail sentence after appealing to Canada’s highest court. The investigation began in 2015 when suspicious activity was detected on the church network server and led to the discovery of child pornography on Vermeer’s office computer. The discovery was reported to police.
A lengthy investigation ensued and charges were approved by the BC Prosecution Service in 2018, consisting of two charges each for Accessing Child Pornography and Possessing Child Pornography with offence dates between 2010 to 2015. A multi-day trial in the BC Provincial Court was held in 2021 and resulted in Vermeer being convicted on all charges. Vermeer appealed the conviction to the BC Court of Appeals and was release on bail pending the result of that appeal. The BC Court of Appeals heard Vermeer’s case, but the appeal was dismissed in May 2023. Vermeer then elevated his appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
On January 11, 2024 the SCC dismissed the appeal and Vermeer began serving his sentence. He is also facing 18 months Probation upon his release from custody as well as being placed on the Sex Offender Registry for 10 years.
This was a lengthy investigation completed meticulously by the Chilliwack RCMP Serious Crimes Unit and General Investigation Support Team.
says Cpl. Carmen Kiener, This recent court decision highlights the hard work our officers do in an area of policing that is not often discussed due to it’s sensitive content.
