A Calgary pastor on trial for protesting at several library drag storytime events has been found guilty of criminal harassment and breaches of his bail conditions but was acquitted Wednesday on charges of causing a disturbance.
Derek Reimer’s trial wrapped up this week after Justice Karen Molle heard closing arguments from prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz and defence lawyer Andrew MacKenzie.
On Wednesday, Molle convicted Reimer on four counts of breaching his bail conditions and one count of harassment. A date for sentencing will be set later this week.
Reimer runs Mission 7, a street ministry which, according to its website, hosts gatherings four days a week in Calgary.
All of Reimer’s charges relate to protests of Reading With Royalty events hosted at Calgary Public Libraries.
The events involve drag queens and kings reading stories to children who are encouraged to dress in their best outfit, cape or crown.
Intention to ‘deter and intimidate’
Reimer, 38, repeatedly referred to the program as “pervert grooming sessions” on social media and when he shouted into a megaphone at people headed into the events.
The charges dealt with on Wednesday stem from incidents at the Saddletowne and Country Hills libraries between March 25 and April 2, 2023.
At the time, Reimer was on bail conditions that prohibited him from attending the storytime events or communicating, directly or indirectly, with any participant, performer or spectator.
But Molle found that on four occasions, the pastor breached his conditions with an intention to “deter and intimidate” people from attending the reading events.
On March 27, Reimer attended the Saddletowne Library and asked to speak with the manager. He proceeded to record their conversation, during which he again made derogatory comments about drag queens.
Later that day, he posted the video to Facebook, encouraging his followers to contact the manager to express their “disgust.”
He also included her phone number, name and the date, time and location of the next drag event.
She ended up locking down her social media and testified the post made her feel upset, threatened and anxious.
Molle found Reimer knew the manager was harassed by his conduct and acted “so that she would be intimidated and would stop the Reading with Royalty event at her library.”
But when it came to the charges of causing a disturbance, connected to Reimer yelling at people outside the library, at times using a megaphone to get his message across, the judge ruled that “shouting in a public place is not in itself a criminal offence.”
Molle also said in her ruling that there was no evidence complaints were made by community members at the time.
3 sets of charges
In the spring of 2023, Reimer was arrested three times in five weeks and as a result faces three sets of charges.
The first incident took place Feb. 25, after he attended a Reading with Royalty event at the Seton Library and allegedly pushed to the front of the room, shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs at children and their parents.
Reimer was arrested and charged with mischief and causing a disturbance.
A trial on those charges has already taken place with Justice Allan Fradsham set to make his ruling next month.
After his first arrest, Reimer spent several days in custody because he refused to sign his bail conditions but eventually agreed to stay away from LGBTQ2S+ events.
One week after his release, Reimer attended another Reading with Royalty event, this one at the Signal Hill Library.
He was charged with breaching his bail conditions. A decision on that charge is expected in court next week.
History of violence
The pastor has a 12-year history of committing violent crimes in both Alberta and Manitoba, including convictions for animal abuse and aggravated assault.
In 2015, Reimer was convicted in Calgary of causing suffering to a dog. He was given 12 months probation as a sentence.
Before that, Reimer faced two jail sentences in Winnipeg.
In 2011, he was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm and handed an eight-month jail term plus 18 months probation.
Two years later, Reimer was convicted on two counts of aggravated assault and was sentenced to two years in jail.
A number of other charges in both Alberta and Manitoba have been stayed or withdrawn over the years, including theft, mischief, intimidation and at least two other assaults.