KENTVILLE, NS - Following a preliminary inquiry, a former Annapolis Valley tennis instructor has been committed to stand trial in Supreme Court on three sex-related charges.
Aaron Byron Cumberland, 28, of no fixed address, was present in Windsor provincial court in custody on Jan. 29 as Judge Ronda Van Der Hoek rendered her decision on his preliminary inquiry.
Cumberland has been committed to stand trial in Supreme Court on charges of communicating with a person under age 16 by means of telecommunications for the purpose of facilitating the offence of invitation to sexual touching; making sexually explicit material available to a person under age 16 and invitation to sexual touching.
Cumberland’s matters have been adjourned to Feb. 12 for arraignment in Kentville Supreme Court. He continues to be held in custody on a due course of law remand.
It’s alleged that Cumberland committed the offences in Windsor between Nov. 2 and 5, 2017. He previously elected to stand trial by Supreme Court judge and jury, leading to the preliminary inquiry. Charges against Cumberland have not been proven in court.
The Crown entered a stay of proceeding on a fourth charge - communicating with a person under the age of 18 by means of telecommunications for the purpose of facilitating an offence relating to child pornography – on Dec. 4, 2018. This means that the Crown has discontinued prosecution of the accused on this count but may resume prosecution for up to one year or the charge is withdrawn.
The court revoked Cumberland’s conditional release on Sept. 4, 2018. Along with two people from Fredericton, Cumberland was apprehended on May 31 on the American side of the Maine-New Brunswick border.
U.S. border patrol officers charged them with unlawful entry after they were seen walking near Houlton, a spot that isn’t designated as a point of entry.
An affidavit submitted to the U.S. court alleged that Cumberland had a cellphone and laptop computer in his possession when he was arrested in Maine. His release conditions included not using or possessing electronic devices capable of accessing the Internet. Cumberland also had to surrender his passport to the Lower Sackville RCMP as part of his conditional release.
Before being returned to Nova Scotia, Cumberland was deported from the U.S. to New Brunswick, where a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of breaching conditions of his recognizance.
Cumberland, a former Kentville resident, was named Tennis Nova Scotia’s Coach of the Year in 2013. He worked as executive director of the CANgaroo Athletic Association, which put on tennis skill development sessions - including school programs - in several Kings and Hants county communities.
The remaining charges involve a single alleged victim from Kings County. The identity of the alleged victim is protected by a publication ban.
- With files from Ian Fairclough, the Chronicle Herald
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