President of Canadian LGBT organization ousted following arrest for alleged sex crimes against children

The now-former head of a Canadian LGBT activist group has been arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes against children. Sean Gravells served as president of the North Peace Pride Society from 2018 until Friday, when the group announced his removal from the board following a Jan. 3 vote.

Dan McLaughlin, a spokesman for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, told Canadian state media Monday that Gravells, 39, has been accused of molesting an individual under the age of 16, sexual interference of a person under 16, possession of child pornography, and importation or distribution of child pornography.

Gravells, who indicated in a 2022 Meta post that he had gone to work for WESCO Distribution, is alleged to have victimized children in northern British Columbia in or around Fort St. John. Whereas the alleged molestation is said to have occurred on Dec. 29, the child porn charges occurred on Dec. 31.

The North Peace Pride Society, which has scrubbed the alleged pedophile's biography from its website, appears to have been sponsored in recent years by various Canadian banks and local institutions.

The NPPS has hosted events for minors in recent years, such as its May 2022 "Pride Teen Night" for teens ages 13-18.

Gravells told EnergeticCity.ca ahead of an apparently all-ages drag show in 2022, "We've got, potentially, a young person who's never tried drag before, but they really want to try. So we're going to help them out as much as we can with costumes, makeup. We can't do everything for them, but we can definitely provide some guidance."

The NPPS said in a Jan. 5 statement, "On December 31, 2023, one of our board members was arrested and is facing severe charges inconsistent with the North Peace Pride Society's mission and code of conduct."

"While some board members work directly with youth through library programs, this person was not among them," said the statement. "All board members involved in youth program have undergone criminal record checks."

It's presently unclear whether Gravells previously had a criminal record.

The NPPS vowed that moving forward, all of its board members would be subjected to "record checks to uphold the highest standards."

A spokesman for the federal police operating in Fort St. John declined to provide state media with additional details regarding Gravells' arrest.

McLaughlin indicated he appeared in provincial court on Jan. 1 and his arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 29.

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