A Courtenay businessman is facing child pornography charges linked to two communities on Vancouver Island, as well as multiple charges of telecommunicating to lure a child in Hope.
“Hope RCMP received a report of an individual who was in possession of child pornography, (and) during their investigation a suspect was identified,” said Cpl. Mike Rail, media liaison officer for the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment.
Jason Thomas Graff was arrested in Courtenay and later released pending court appearances in Chilliwack.
Public court documents from the Chilliwack courthouse show Graff facing four charges: telecommunicating with a child under 16 and under 18, and two counts of possessing child pornography stemming from incidents in Qualicum Beach and Cumberland.
His next court appearance is scheduled for March 19 in Chilliwack.
Graff is listed as the president and CEO of BC Protection Services, a Hope-based security firm that opened a branch in Courtenay in 2018.
The company is situated at #105, 2960 Moray Ave.
A website search lists the company as permanently closed, and the company has not purchased its 2019 business licence from the City of Courtenay yet. That licence was due Feb. 28.
There are still BCPS vehicles at the address, and a man was on the premises when visited by The Record, but he could not comment on whether the business was still in operation. Graff was not present, or available for comment. The phone number associated with the business is no longer in service.
According to an interview Graff provided The Record in 2018, all of the organization’s staff are licensed by the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and are trained by the Justice Institute of B.C.
Via email response, the ministry said that under the Security Services Act, licensees are required to report to the registrar any criminal charges or convictions within 14 days.
The ministry also said the registrar “is aware of the charges and is actively reviewing the situation.”
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact the Hope RCMP at 604-869-7750 or, should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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