The men were arrested this morning , said Sgt. Tim Shields , a media relations officer for the RCMP .
RCMP
man arrest morning say sgt. tim shields medium relation officer rcmp
The men were arrested this morning , said Sgt. Tim Shields , a media relations officer for the <m> RCMP </m> .
Polygamy arrests made in Canada
Two leaders of polygamous factions in Bountiful , British Columbia , have been arrested , Canadian authorities announced .
Jim Oler , 44 , and Winston Blackmore , 52 , have been charged under the criminal code with practicing polygamy , Attorney General Wally Oppal said in a statement .
British Columbia 's Royal Canadian Mounted Police have scheduled a news conference this afternoon .
The men were arrested this morning , said Sgt. Tim Shields , a media relations officer for the <m> RCMP </m> .
The men were arrested this morning , said Sgt. Tim Shields , a media relations officer for the RCMP .
Their first court appearance is scheduled for Creston Provincial Court on Jan. 21 .
Oler , accused of having two wives , is charged with `` practicing polygamy '' between Nov. 1 , 2004 , and Oct. 8 , 2008 .
Blackmore , alleged to have 19 wives , is charged with `` practicing polygamy '' between May 1 , 2005 , and Dec. 8 , 2006 .
Oppal said a special prosecution into allegations of criminal misconduct in the community of Bountiful , a self-named community near Creston , led to the arrests .
`` The arrests are the culmination of an intensive , seven-month charge assessment review by special prosecutor Terrence Robertson , '' who explored whether the men were in `` a conjungal relationship with more than one individual at a time , '' Oppal said .
He stressed the prosecution is independent of the criminal justice branch and the Government of British Columbia , pointing out Robertson is an independent special prosecutor .
He declined to comment on the specifics of the case .
RCMP officers in Creston began investigating allegations of polygamy and sexual exploitation in Bountiful in the fall of 2005 , Shields said in a statement .
The community , with a population of approximately 1,000 , follows the practices of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ on Latter Day Saints .
That sect 's traditional base is Hildale , Utah and Colorado City , Arizona , but its outposts include the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado , Texas .
Texas officials raided the ranch last April and temporarily removed 439 children .
The Canadian investigation focused on the two men in positions of authority , Shields said .
It was completed in September 2006 with a report to Crown Counsel , which recommended charges of polygamy and sexual exploitation .
A follow-up investigation began in September and uncovered additional evidence supplied to Robertson , the special prosecutor , in November .
In early December , he advised the RCMP he had approved one charge of polygamy against the two men .
The charges were sworn on Tuesday .
The polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is led president Warren S. Jeffs , now serving a sentence for being an accomplice to rape for conducting an underage marriage .
He faces similar charges in Arizona and Texas .
While the doctrine tying plural marriage to exaltation in heaven is rooted in early Mormon theology , the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disavowed polygamy in 1890 .
The issue of polygamy has fueled a long debate in Canada .
After the initial probe into Bountiful , attorneys said the Canadian government could find no witnesses on sexual-assault allegations because investigators were told that everyone consented to the acts , and allegations of sexual exploitation of young women could not be substantiated .