Lawyer of recently elected chief calls timing of sexual assault charge suspicious

The lawyer representing a recently elected and long-time chief of a First Nation in northern Ontario who has been charged with historical sexual assault says the timing of the charge is “clearly suspicious.” Wilfred King was charged by the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) on Nov. 17 with sexual assault for an offence that is alleged to have taken place in 1992. The news comes just days after King was re-elected as chief of Gull Bay First Nation. Gull Bay First Nation is 200 kilometre north of Thunder Bay but King has a residence in the city. In a statement to APTN News, King’s lawyer, Brandon Crawford wrote that “while allegedly historical in nature, they [the alleged victim] only surfaced during a contested election, one which Chief King was favoured to win. “Notwithstanding this distraction, Chief King just re-secured his role as Chief of Gull Bay First Nation, a position he has proudly held nearly uninterrupted since 2002.” TBPS has not issued a media release on the charge. “To protect the integrity of the investigation and any future court proceedings, no further information will be provided at this time,” said the TBPS director of communications, Tracie Smith. The statement from Crawford said King “will focus on his renewed responsibility, and he is looking forward to once again representing his people and his community.” The statement goes on to say “we will vigorously fight these accusations, and we look forward to the truth being revealed through the court process.” Hubert Wigwas, who was re-elected to band council in Saturday’s vote, told APTN News that he will be writing Indigenous Services Canada to see what steps should be taken when a chief is charged. “I don’t know if he should still be representing us with a charge like that,” said Wigwas when reached by phone. In 2023, a Gull Bay First Nation band councillor was charged with accessing and possessing child pornography. Wigwas said the removed that person from band council. None of the allegations have been tested in court. King’s next court appearance is in January 2026. Continue Reading