Former army corporal Colin McGregor, facing seven charges including sexual assault and voyeurism, pleaded not guilty Thursday at a court martial at CFB Esquimalt.
The 35-year-old McGregor is charged with one count of sexual assault, two counts of voyeurism, two counts of possession of bugging devices to intercept private communication, disgraceful conduct, and conduct that prejudices good order and conduct.
He entered his pleas after Military Judge Commander J.B.M. Pelletier rejected defence arguments to exclude much of the evidence.
McGregor’s lawyers had invoked the Canadian Charter of Rights, issues of diplomatic immunity and argued against the appropriateness of an American search warrant to investigate a Canadian working abroad.
The offences are alleged to have arisen between July 1, 2011, and Jan. 30, 2017, in Victoria and Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., where McGregor worked as a resource management support clerk with the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff.
Now living in Victoria, he was arrested Feb. 16, 2017, after a search of his Alexandria, Virginia residence.
Canadian military police, co-operating with Alexandria police and acting under the authority of a search warrant issued in Virginia, seized a number of devices, including a laptop computer, a hard drive and computer discs.
