By The Canadian Press
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
WINNIPEG — Mounties say a First Nation chief in Manitoba is facing multiple charges, including sexual assault, after an investigation into text message exchanges with a teen.
Little Grand Rapids Chief Raymond Keeper, 65, was arrested in the community on Thursday. He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 21.
He is charged with eight offences, including two counts of sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and luring a person under the age of 18.
RCMP said they received reports of inappropriate text messages between a 16-year-old girl and an older man in September.
Mounties encourage anyone with information about the investigation to call the Little Grand Rapids detachment or local community health services.
Little Grand Rapids is a fly-in community about 265 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg near the Ontario boundary. It has an on-reserve population of about 1,370.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said in an emailed statement that it will not comment at this time on any legal matters involving its chiefs.
