Former Penticton resident facing charges related to child pornography for second time

Photo: Jon Manchester

A former Penticton resident previously convicted of possession of child pornography and importing/distributing child pornography is facing new charges of the same nature. 

Mark Henry Snowden will appear in Kelowna Law Courts on Thursday, Sept. 10 on charges which date back to offences allegedly committed in March 2019.

The 58-year-old was arrested on July 21, 2020, after RCMP responded to a report of suspicious activity at a property located along Westside Road. 

"Once on scene front line RCMP officers had interactions with a man who they positively identified and determined to have outstanding warrants for his arrest," confirmed Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy.

His September court date will mark the second time Snowden has appeared in court for charges relating to child pornography. 

In April 2014, Snowden was sentenced to one year jail time, three years probation and a 10-year order, for possession and distribution of images and videos featuring sexually explicit content involving minors.

Among the conditions of his 10-year order are to avoid attending sites like public parks, school grounds or playgrounds where it could be reasonably assumed individuals under the age of 16 years old may be present.

At the time of the alleged offences in March 2019, Snowden was reportedly living at the New Gate apartments managed by the John Howard Society, with a fourth floor room overlooking Rutland Centennial Park on Rutland Road North. 

However, that information has not been confirmed by the John Howard Society, who deferred Castanet's enquiries to BC Housing media relations manager Laura Mathews. 

"Due to public privacy and confidentiality laws, BC Housing is unable to release specific information about tenants," says Mathews.

"The society primarily considers a new resident’s physical capabilities when designating a room. Ground floor and accessible rooms are prioritized for residents with disabilities and residents who struggle walking up flights of stairs."

A Rutland business owner who wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution voiced his concern to Castanet about "the way JHS handled the situation," after interacting with Snowden on multiple occasions around his nearly three-year-old, with no knowledge of his criminal history.

However, Mathews says JHS is not obligated to inform any members of the public about a tenant's history or criminal record. 

"BC Housing and the John Howard Society are not required or legally able to provide notifications about specific individuals living in buildings. It's also against privacy laws to give information about evictions – this is personal information that BCH and the John Howard Society cannot disclose."

Snowden is scheduled for a procedural court appearance in Kelowna on Sept. 10.