The case against an Onion Lake man facing child porn charges was adjourned again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
James Gabriel Buffalo, 33, is charged with possession of, and accessing child pornography.
The Onion Lake Circuit Court remains closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has caused countless adjournments and delays of court cases across the province.
Thirteen permanent court locations remained open during the pandemic but all circuit courts were closed. Twenty-two circuit courts have since re-opened June 1 but Onion Lake Circuit Court wasn’t one of them. Bail hearings and sentencing for in-custody accused have continued by either telephone or video-conferencing at the 13 permanent court locations that remained open with limited access.
Buffalo was arrested in January after a seven-month investigation by the Saskatchewan Child Exploitation Unit.
They obtained a search warrant for his resident on Onion Lake Cree Nation and found child pornography in his residence. Police also seized his computer, smart phones and digital storage devices for forensic analysis.
The charges against Buffalo haven’t been proven in court.
Buffalo was scheduled to appear in Onion Lake Circuit Court on June 8 to elect how he wants to be tried. The matter was adjourned until July 6 for election.
