A former Vision Vancouver school board trustee charged in an underage sex sting appeared in court on Tuesday (Nov. 30).
Kenneth “Ken” Joseph Clement is one of seven men charged in connection to a Vancouver police sting, which saw officers posting fake ads on social media and escort websites. The detectives, posing as girls between the ages of 15 and 17, arranged to meet the men they were texting and chatting with at hotels for sex — for a fee.
In total, 47 men were arrested after showing up to the hotel.
According to the court records, Clement’s alleged offence took place on June 27, 2018. He was announced as a Vision candidate on June 20 that same year, but dropped out of the race the following week. The school board had not been notified of the arrest when it happened.
Vision spokesperson Michael Haack told the Vancouver Courier at the time that Clement was not running in the upcoming election due to health reasons.
Clement was the first municipal official of First Nations descent in Vancouver’s history when elected to the school board in 2008.
His lawyer is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 14.