‘The damage is done’: Manitoba man wrongfully accused of sex crime remains in hiding

A Portage la Prairie man says he’s still successful hiding aft he was wrongfully charged pinch a activity crime by Manitoba RCMP.

Scott Taylor was arrested earlier this period arsenic 1 of 7 individuals accused of luring teenage girls into performing intersexual acts for narcotics and money.

The problem: Taylor didn’t do it — thing constabulary acknowledged much than a week later, successful an update to their first nationalist announcement of nan charges, but by past it was already excessively late.

“I was conscionable making my coffee, and each of a sudden, I looked retired nan window, and location (were) 5 constabulary cars astatine my house,” Taylor told Global Winnipeg.

“I opened nan doorway and they came barging successful and arrested maine and charged pinch these unspeakable crimes…. I didn’t moreover know. I was successful absolute, complete daze astir this.”

Taylor, who describes himself arsenic a responsible, law-abiding weapon owner, who was readying to sojourn a section firearm scope pinch friends astatine nan clip of nan arrest, said constabulary seized his firearms, arsenic good arsenic a machine and a cellphone, and near his location a mess, throwing items each complete nan floor.

Because of nan publication of his sanction successful relationship pinch specified a heinous crime, Taylor said he’s been targeted. He said he has received aggregate decease threats, been assaulted and seen his location vandalized pinch graffiti referring to him arsenic a pedophile.

“The harm has been done. I can’t understand really they tin make specified a mess-up of this … really they could conscionable do this and complaint personification who’s wholly innocent.

“I’m acrophobic to spell home. Still, I’m afraid. I’m still successful hiding here,” he said. “I’m not successful Portage, I’m successful hiding, because I don’t consciousness safe moreover being astatine location yet, moreover aft nan RCMP put nan study retired saying that I was not progressive successful immoderate of these charges.

“I’m perfectly devastated, and my family, my intelligence health… everything. Words can’t picture what I’m going done correct now.”

Taylor said he feels for nan victims and their families, but arsenic a unfortunate himself, he wants a general apology from police. So far, he said, he hasn’t had immoderate interaction pinch RCMP since nan incident — though he’ll request to meet pinch them soon to get his firearms and machine instrumentality back.

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“I want nan nationalist to cognize this could hap to anyone,” he said. “Any guiltless personification here, this could hap to.

“And I dream that this is simply a connection for nan RCMP that you conscionable can’t falsely impeach personification of these superior crimes — you’ve sewage to do nan investigation earlier you complaint people.”

For their part, constabulary opportunity they followed each due steps during nan investigation, and that each of nan accusation they had astatine nan clip supported nan charges and nan hunt of Taylor’s home.

“In immoderate investigation, our work is ever to find nan truth,” Manitoba RCMP said successful a connection Wednesday.

“We are bound arsenic to clasp group accountable erstwhile a crime has been committed, and to clear group erstwhile they are wished done investigation to person nary involvement.

“As nan investigation progressed, investigators wished 1 of nan accused was not involved. Immediate steps were taken to person charges stayed, and to pass nationalist and nan media.”

Police besides said they haven’t received immoderate reports of battle aliases vandalism from Taylor.