Exchanges of illicit sexual contact unveiled on day 2 of N.W.T. reservist’s trial

The trial for a former Canadian Armed Forces reservist facing multiple sexual assault and child exploitation charges continued in a Yellowknife courtroom Wednesday, where explicit exchanges with a youth were unveiled.

Craig Scott Routery, 62, who was a warrant officer with the 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group from Yellowknife at the time he was charged, pleaded not guilty to nine charges on Tuesday. The charges include sexual assault, child luring, making sexually explicit material available to a child and possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

Routery was arrested on July 8, 2024 while working at a youth training session in Whitehorse.

According to the courts agreed statement of facts, police began investigating allegations Routery engaged in online communication and illicit sexual contact with a youth in the N.W.T. after seizing the youth’s phone in December 2023 as part of a separate investigation.

The phone was returned in February 2024, but police seized it again a month later upon uncovering several exchanges linked to Routery.

The youth cannot be named due to a publication ban since he was underage when he first started speaking to Routery on an adult networking website sometime between late 2022 and early 2023.

Both parties confirmed there was sexual contact inside a vehicle parked outside a Yellowknife school sometime in 2023.

The Crown’s exhibit of text messages between the youth and Routery contained explicit messages and photos, some of which were about the youth’s younger cousin. The youth also sent Routery child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

When questioned, Routery said he “would not involve [himself] with someone that was underage.”

Routery said he believed the youth was 18 years old during their initial contact based on the way he talked, as well as what was listed on his adult networking website profile.

The youth said he disclosed his real age prior to meeting Routery in person. But Routery said he believed their exchanges were “roleplay” and “age play”. He also alleges he did not watch the child sexual abuse and exploitation material sent to him, and deleted it immediately.

Under questioning about why the youth continued talking with Routery, the youth said he “felt a responsibility to stop predators like him [Routery] and track him,” which he told police in August 2025.

The youth said he had previously been suspended by the adult networking website after a conversation with a different user, but his account was reinstated after trying to convince site administrators he was over 18 years of age.

The defence pointed out the youth did not report Routery.

According to the agreed statement of facts, after Routery’s arrest in July 2024, police searched his workplace in Whitehorse and his Yellowknife home, and found multiple devices that contained child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

The statement of facts also noted Routery’s laptop contained cleaning and shredding software and the Tor browser – an anonymous and open-source web browser which is often used to access the dark web. The document also states Routery’s metadata showed he accessed a website which included explicit images of children.

On the stand, Routery maintained he had no interest in such content, saying any downloads were “unintentional” and his laptop can be accessed by family members, household guests, or “anyone who came through the house”.

Routery’s cross examination is scheduled to resume Thursday morning.