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Testimony at the trial of a 29-year-old Springhill, N.S., man accused of luring a teenage girl in the United States concluded this month, with a Nova Scotia judge hearing conflicting evidence about when he learned the girl was underage.
Bryce Melanson pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including child luring and possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material, which used to be referred to as child pornography in the Criminal Code of Canada.
In August 2023, Melanson, then 26, travelled from Springhill to the United States to meet a 15-year-old girl whose identity is protected by a publication ban.
Both Melanson and the girl testified this month in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Amherst, N.S., that they had entered into an online relationship, exchanged sexual images and spent days together in the United States while she was the subject of an Amber Alert.
The girl testified, via video link from her home state, that since the age of 10 she repeatedly lied about her age to people she met through apps such as Snapchat. She said that was the case initially with Melanson.
Girl’s age
Prosecutor Peter Dostal, however, said the Crown believes Melanson knew the girl was underage prior to traveling to the United States.
“Based on all available information that he would have had, including her appearance on video and background information she gave about herself, he knew that she was under 18 and specifically was of the age 15,” he said in an interview.
“There were only minimal steps taken to verify age and that, within Canadian law, is not appropriate and does support a potential conviction for luring.”
Closing submissions in the case will be made in June.
In court, Nova Scotia Legal Aid lawyer Stephanie Hillson, who represents Melanson, argued her client had no reason to believe, including based on the girl’s appearance, that she was lying about her age.
Melanson home searched
Melanson testified he discovered the girl’s age through an Amber Alert shortly before being stopped by a state trooper while they were together in August 2023.
The following month, U.S. authorities contacted the RCMP internet child exploitation unit, according to a press release in late 2024. The Mounties said at the time it was believed the man returned to Canada with child pornography on his devices.
In December 2023, police searched Melanson’s home and seized devices for digital forensic examination, according to an agreed statement of facts. At that time, he told officers he had fallen in love with the girl who lied about her age.
Melanson was arrested in March 2024 and released on the condition he not contact the girl.
In May 2024, Melanson’s home was searched again. At that time, he was charged with harassment, threats and intimidation of a justice system participant, and was held in custody until early June when he was released on bail.
Group chat messages
The Crown alleges Melanson continued to interact with the girl through group chats, contrary to his release conditions. Dostal said screenshots of those messages include information that was known to a limited number of people, including Melanson.
Melanson testified passwords for many social media accounts were among the information he and the girl shared.
Hillson also pointed out that only screenshots, rather than a device, were provided to police by the girl’s legal guardian, so there is no metadata from those messages.
The accused, complainant, witnesses and investigators testified in the trial, which took place from April 7 to 17.
Justice Jeffrey Hunt directed counsel to focus on each individual count in the case in their closing submissions.
Dostal said the Crown intends to pursue all seven counts.
“It may very well change, but that’s ultimately something that’s going to, I think, become clear once we’re back in court,” he said.
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