SLOBODIAN: Send in the police... and child protective services... why wait?

Exposure of the “shocking” exploitation of a 14-year-old autistic, disabled trans child performing sexually provocative dances in Vancouver sexual minority bars has now sparked investigations by BC’s children’s ministry and Conservative party leader John Rustad.Where has everybody been? This heinous abuse — by her mother Chrysta and bars that boldly advertise the minor’s disturbing performances that mom allowed to be posted on YouTube and Instagram — has been hidden in plain sight..There are ample grounds under Section 13 of BC’s Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA) to warrant the child being protected from her mother, said Vancouver lawyer Charlene Le Beau, who specializes in family law and is part of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) network.The act states parents have a legal obligation to keep their children safe and protect them from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.“This child clearly needs protection and is clearly being exploited. That is incredible. This is a 14-year-old child openly performing these exploitative acts in an adult club. It’s just shocking,” said Le Beau.“It’s against the law. And her mom is condoning this. She is someone that the child needs to be protected from. I know the CFCSA, and this is clearly a child protection concern,” said Le Beau who spent 20 years serving as legal counsel for the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s director and now represents parents the ministry is acting against.“I can’t even get my head around the fact that this is happening. It’s illegal for a minor to enter a bar.”In BC, the CFCSA defines anyone under age 19 as a child. The legal drinking age is 19.What role do Vancouver police play in situations like this? They wouldn’t say.“The limited information you have provided does not allow us to provide a meaningful response or offer a legal opinion,” wrote media relations spokesman Sgt. Steve Addison in response to a request for an interview and comment on applicable laws.A link to my column was included. Addison suggested consulting existing statute laws.I emailed more information — photos of the child, a video, her name on bar posters promoting the shows — with a request for clarification on what rules/instructions Vancouver police are required to follow in these situations. That and a phone call received no response.The child, who uses the stage name Nova Tropica, dances for bills in three allegedly known venues — Fountainhead Pub, Steamworks Brew Pub, and The Junction. She performs in mesh, stilettos, skimpy bathing suits, and with strips of tape over her chest. She struts on the stage and strikes provocative positions during sometimes vulgar, demeaning songs.Judith Rose, who first exposed this after being tipped off by a concerned member of BC’s transgender community, is with US-based Gays Against Groomers that fights to protect children. She warned the danger this child faces in licensed settings — hunting grounds for pedophiles — can’t be underestimated.“I don’t think people understand how predators operate. I think people are ignorant, ignorance is bliss. They don’t see the world through the lens of a predator or a pedophile. Unfortunately, over the years I’ve had to learn how that works,” said Rose.The child admitted on social media she suffers mental health issues and calls herself a “demon boy” and “everything Lucifer wants me to be.”The child, with mom’s support and self-pitying complaints that she couldn’t get hormones when the girl was 11, is on testosterone to transition to a male. She calls herself a drag king — a man that dresses up as a woman. Try to follow that.After reading my first column on this, a concerned citizen informed me that a complaint will be filed with BC’s Protective Child Services, a duty required under Section 14 of CFCSA when anyone suspects a child is suffering abuse.A source within the ministry confirmed Friday an investigation is underway.BC’s Conservative Leader John Rustad vowed to run his own investigation.“I agree this doesn’t seem right and myself and my office will look into it to find out what has gone on here,” he said.“The question mark is what the provincial laws are here. If provincial law is being broken, why is that being allowed. If provincial law is not being broken, that raises some questions as to should there be provincial laws.”“I think the law was changed in BC a few years ago that said anybody under 16 wasn’t allowed to work. There might have been some exceptions on that because of agricultural things. It used to be 14. I don’t know what sort of provisions would be there.”He simply couldn’t comprehend having 14-year-old child being demeaned like this.Le Beau has faith the ministry will act.“I think that if the ministry caught wind of this, they would be all over it. They are very concerned about child pornography, exploitation, and grooming. That’s very high on their radar.”“I think they would be horrified that this is happening to a child. That’s been my experience.”In a statement to Western Standard, the ministry only said its focus is ensuring the safety and well-being of children and supporting families.It encouraged “any person who has reason to believe that a child needs protection … has a duty to promptly report the concern.Child protection reports can be made to Provincial Centralized Screening at 1-800-663-9122 (toll-free within BC), with the identity of the person making the report kept confidential. “When the ministry receives a report regarding the safety of a child or youth, they assess the report and determine the most appropriate response. Following the assessment of the report, there are different avenues the ministry may take including a child protection investigation and/or involvement of local law enforcement,” reads the statement.Meanwhile, it took a US-based organization to raise awareness about the plight of a Canadian child.Rose commended the bravery of the tipster for alerting Gays Against Groomers. Those who do speak out are fiercely attacked.“It was very brave to step forward. The ideology and propaganda that’s being pumped out is radicalizing people. This is going to have to happen from inside the community because nobody else really wants to listen. They say if you’re straight you don’t get to have an opinion.”“I wish we could make people understand that this is wrong. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult. Common sense has gone out the window.”“I’ve heard a lot about Canada for a couple of years now, just following its chaos. You’re losing all definition of the differences in men and women, making gendering a crime, and things like this.”She condemns those who do nothing.“It’s straight-up ignorance and cowardice because at least somebody in the audience thought ‘This is weird, I think this is wrong, that’s a kid, what is it doing here?’ And yet they didn’t say anything.”When she saw the photos and video of Nova Tropica, she broke down.“I was just heartbroken. I worked on it all night and sobbed until it was done. It’s probably happening in a lot more places than we think. I felt a duty to get it out there for the safety of these kids.”What made it more difficult was mom’s support of these provocative performances.“I had a hard time looking at everything, then finding the mother’s account and realizing this is just another lost person who genuinely thinks they are doing a good thing and they don’t understand how evil it actually is.”A scantily clad child performing for adults is at extreme risk “because you have no idea who is there, how they think, why they are watching the show.”“Predators have had a much easier time operating in society because of how the internet has worked, because of how it's programmed into people’s minds. I think people are just incredibly ignorant as to how dangerous it is to prop up a child in front of strangers half-dressed, performing these dances only an adult should be performing or watching. It’s disgusting. What’s worse is how people don’t understand it’s disgusting.”“This mother of the child doesn’t understand the crime she’s committing by letting her child inject hormones and dance for adults. There’s long-term damage that is happening here.”Or does mommy dearest understand? The Instagram and YouTube accounts swiftly disappeared.“I’m not going stop reporting this until it’s over. I’m never going to shut up about it. We have to push forward. We have to keep saying no and putting our foot down until they listen,” said Rose.How did it get to this? How did fear of offending crazy, radical ideology take precedence over protecting children living in torment?

SLOBODIAN: Send in the police... and child protective services... why wait?

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