Canadian man accused of raping S'porean after meeting on online game
A Canadian man has been accused of repeatedly raping a Singaporean youth when she visited him in Canada.
The man, James Brian Stephenson, is also accused of taking explicit nude photos of her during her time there.
The 37-year-old man from Winnipeg is said to have befriended the youth while playing an online video game.
He was arrested on several charges including sexual assault, internet luring and child pornography.
The Winnipeg Free Press reported that the youth, now 18, was apparently engaged to Stephenson.
The youth and her mother entered Canada based on the engagement. In fact, a visa sponsorship process was also underway at the time these criminal allegations were uncovered by the police.
However, the youth is now denying any romantic involvement with Stephenson, who was first arrested last October.
The two first met while playing an online video game in 2012 - when she was just 16, and he was 35.
The pair then got "married" in the virtual world - after which they discovered several mutual interests.
After continued chatting between the two, she flew to Winnipeg in April last year with her mother and met him for the first time.
During this visit, the pair got engaged and performed a "ceremonial celebration of marriage" which was recorded on video.
The video, which was viewed by Canadian daily Winnipeg Free Press, showed Stephenson bending down on one knee to propose.
Her 49-year-old mother is also seen giving the couple her blessings. She also warned him to take good care of her daughter.
Mother and daughter then returned to Singapore to finish her studies. But both soon returned to Winnipeg in July and began living with him.
That is when the sexual assaults are said to have taken place.
Stephenson is currently on bail and no trial dates have been set.
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