Lead RNC investigator says 2022 complaint stirred police to revisit old filesPublished Aug 28, 2025Last updated 10 hours ago4 minute readTony Humby is led into court at the start of his trial Aug. 27, 2025. Photo by Keith Gosse/The TelegramArticle contentRoyal Newfoundland Constabulary Sgt. Amanda Harnum turned the pages of a binder full of forensic photos during her afternoon on the witness stand Monday, Aug. 27, 2025 describing them in sections as Tony Humby followed along with his own binder in the prisoner’s dock. 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Article contentArticle contentArticle contentThe pictures, captured during a search of Humby’s Hussey Drive home after his initial arrest in the spring of 2023, showed various areas of the outside and inside of the residence, along with items of interest from the inside. Article contentA backyard picnic table, firepit and shed. Beer bottles inside the front porch. Fridge magnets holding up family photos. A wall of cabinets in the master bedroom. The bathroom shower. Article contentThere were photos of cameras, memory sticks and USB drives seized by investigators. A brown paper bag of condoms, found in a dresser drawer. A teddy bear taken from a cupboard. Pornographic books from a drawer in the spare bedroom. Article contentHarnum didn’t elaborate on why investigators were interested in each of the items, only to say they were relevant to the statements provided by complainants. Article contentSome of the photos, she explained, showed spots on a couch, mattress and blankets identified by forensic officers as potentially containing biological material. There were pictures of the couch before and after the spots had been cut out and taken away for DNA testing. Article contentArticle contentINITIAL INVESTIGATION GREW QUICKLYArticle contentHarnum, lead investigator in the case, was one of the first to testify as Humby’s long-awaited trial got underway at provincial court in St. John’s Wednesday morning, Aug. 27. Article contentHumby, 64, is on trial for 72 charges of sexual violence against 11 complainants, spanning decades. Police say he and co-accused Bruce Escott, 82, worked together for years to lure, groom, sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable teenage males. Article contentIn March, Escott pleaded guilty to seven offences and received a 13-year jail sentence. Article contentThe investigation that led to Humby’s initial arrest began in November 2022, Harnum told the court, after a teenager told police Humby had sexually assaulted him, and he was ready to give a statement. Article contentAt that point, the RNC had been aware of Humby’s alleged connection to the boy: they had opened several related files since 2019 but the boy had never given a statement, so no charges had ever been laid. Article contentWhen he spoke to police this time, it led investigators to speak to other youth, and from there, the investigation grew quickly. Article contentOnce the RNC charged Humby in relation to the first complaints and it was publicized in the media, more and more complainants came forward. Article content“I wouldn’t describe this file as linear,” Harnum testified. “Lots of information was coming from complainants in dribs and drabs.” Article contentFive investigators were assigned to the case, and they interviewed about 200 people over the next year or so, completing more than 600 tasks in the file. Sometimes police learned of new complainants through the course of their interviews; sometimes complainants contacted them directly by calling RNC headquarters, or e-mailing a dedicated tip line investigators had established specifically for this investigation. Article contentHarnum said police also reached out to complainants in a 2007 file that had been closed without charge. Article contentArticle content“The file was looked into again. Information in the file was consistent with what we knew as of today’s date,” Harnum said. Article content Defence lawyer Mark Gruchy (left) hands Tony Humby a glass of water as Humby’s provincial court trial gets underway in St. John’s, Aug. 27, 2025. Photo by Keith Gosse/The TelegramArticle content‘WE’RE NOT GOING TO FORCE SOMEONE TO PARTICIPATE IF THEY’RE NOT READY’Article contentContinuing her testimony Thursday morning, Harnum explained what she described as a victim-centred approach taken by investigators, which saw them back away from potential complainants who didn’t want to talk. Article content“We’re not going to force someone to participate if they’re not ready,” she said. “We want to be survivor-centred and let them make the decision as to whether they want to continue or not. A lot of times they carry shame or guilt and we’re not going to force anyone to think of those things when they’re not ready to speak about them.” Article contentOn cross-examination, defence lawyer Mark Gruchy questioned Harnum about the RNC’s association with the Journey Project, a non-profit organization that offers legal navigation support to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence in Newfoundland and Labrador. Article contentArticle contentHarnum said police offer support resources, including the Journey Project, the mental health crisis line and others to complainants of sexual violence as part of their investigative approach. Article contentGruchy asked if representatives of the Journey Project, who sometimes accompany complainants during police interviews, had brought anyone to police in this case. Harnum said no. Article contentGruchy also asked Harnum about the search warrant the RNC executed on Humby’s residence, noting it hadn’t happened for two months after his arrest, and the home had not been secured by police in the meantime. Article contentSomeone broke into the home weeks after Humby’s arrest. A man – a relative of a complainant in charges against Humby that are not part of his current trial – was charged but has not been convicted. Article content“So you don’t know what’s going in or out of this house until (the search)?” Gruchy asked. Article contentHarnum replied investigators had not considered a search of the residence right away. Article contentHumby’s trial is continuing Thursday with testimony from retired RNC Sgt. Corinne James and the first of the complainants: a man who first reported being sexually assaulted by Humby in 2007.Article contentDEFENCE PLANS TO ASK FOR CHARGES TO BE TOSSEDArticle contentAs the court proceedings unfold, the defence is working on an application to have the charges tossed due to unreasonable delays in getting them to trial. Article contentThe Supreme Court of Canada’s 2016 Jordan ruling established deadlines for criminal trials: 18 months for provincial court matters and 30 months for those in superior courts. Once those timelines are exceeded, an accused can apply to have their charges dismissed if they can prove the delay was unreasonable and not their fault. Article contentAny amount of delay attributed to them is subtracted from the timeline. Article content
Trial begins for accused NL sexual predator Tony Humby
