KENORA, Ont. – A former Ontario Provincial Police Officer in Kenora who was denied an appeal of his extradition to the United States to face charges of abusive sexual contact with a minor in Minnesota has since pleaded guilty to two charges.
Brady John Hillis, 32, appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim in Minneapolis last week, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age.
The charges relate to an incident in June 2018 when Hillis was a guest at a resort on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation in Minnesota, which is approximately 90 kilometres south of Fort Frances, Ont.
The victims, who were also guests at the resort, identified as Indigenous. An investigation was launched by the Bois Forte Police Department and was taken over by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
According to a statement issued by the District of Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, security surveillance video showed Hillis engaging in sexual contact with two minor victims under the age of 12.
After the incident, Hillis was released and permitted to return to Canada, but the United States sought Hillis’ extradition to stand trial on the charges.
The Minister of Justice of Canada ordered Hillis to surrender for extradition under the Extradition Act and while his counsel filed an application to stay the extradition proceedings, a judge with the Superior Court of Justice dismissed the application.
Defense counsel then filed an appeal with the Ontario Court of Appeals requesting the surrender order be quashed, citing differences in sentencing in the United States and Canada.
The appeal was dismissed by a panel of three Justices with the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Prior to the guilty plea, Hillis was on paid suspension from the OPP as per the Police Services Act, but he has since resigned from the organization effective Jan. 18, 2022.
A sentencing hearing is to be scheduled at a later date.
