Uncovering a Pattern of Protection: Child Sex Offence Cases in Sudbury, Ontario (2020–Present)

Content warning: This post discusses sensitive topics, including child sex offences, child pornography, sexual assault, and institutional cover-ups. Reader discretion is advised.

Sudbury Ontario Court House

Since 2020, Sudbury, Ontario, has been shaken by allegations of child sex offences, child pornography, and sexual assaults involving individuals in positions of trust. Four cases stand out: Joel Mackey, a court clerk and operator of Sudbury Youth Rocks; Eric Cashmore, a former Sudbury Pride Youth Coordinator; Callum Rodya, a former CTV News reporter; and David Case, a former track coach. These cases were exposed largely through the efforts of activists Jason LaFace and JD Thunder, who faced intense retaliation from local authorities, including the courts, police, media, public officials, and allied non-profits. Drawing on community reports, independent media, and government funding records, this post examines these cases, the systemic protection of predators, and the alleged misuse of anti-racism funds to silence whistleblowers.

The Case of Joel Mackey: A Court Clerk’s Alleged Betrayal of Trust

Joel Mackey, a court clerk with the Attorney General in Sudbury, also operated Sudbury Youth Rocks, an organization meant to provide a safe space for youth. However, parents raised alarms when their children reported that Mackey was intoxicated during events and made inappropriate advances toward them. These allegations suggested that Mackey exploited his position to target vulnerable young people.

Despite the severity of these accusations, Mackey’s case has been handled with secrecy. Reports indicate that the Sudbury courts are attempting to resolve the matter behind closed doors, potentially allowing Mackey to retain his position. This lack of transparency has sparked outrage, with many questioning why an individual accused of such serious crimes appears to be shielded by the justice system, raising concerns about institutional loyalty overriding child safety.

Eric Cashmore: A Predator Protected by Pride and Media

Eric Cashmore’s case is particularly egregious. On August 6, 2017, Cashmore, then a Fierté Sudbury Pride board member and LGBTQ youth outreach liaison, attempted to lure two teenage boys into his vehicle with promises of sexual encounters, showing them a picture of a naked woman and asking invasive personal questions. He was arrested that night after failing to entice the boys. On September 16, 2018, Cashmore was arrested for voyeurism after a woman reported him staring into her home’s windows. Despite these incidents and a history of drug addiction, Cashmore remained on Sudbury Pride’s board until late September 2018, later being hired as a Youth Coordinator.

When activists like Jason LaFace and JD Thunder exposed Cashmore’s charges, local media, including the CBC, downplayed the story. A CBC report framed the situation as an attack on the LGBTQ community by “white supremacists,” relying solely on Sudbury Pride’s narrative and failing to verify claims of doxxing or bigotry. This portrayal suggested Cashmore was a victim of harassment rather than a predator, with media claiming he was “dealing with his demons” and deserved a second chance. The decision to keep Cashmore in a role working with youth, coupled with the media’s sympathetic framing, points to a troubling willingness to overlook predatory behavior, prioritizing organizational reputation over victim safety.

Callum Rodya: A Reporter’s Charges Buried?

Callum Rodya, a former CTV News reporter in Sudbury, faced charges related to child pornography, yet the case has received minimal public attention. According to allegations on platforms like X, Rodya’s charges were quietly addressed, with some claiming he received a “slap on the wrist” due to his media status. The lack of prominent coverage, especially from CTV News, has fueled speculation of a cover-up, with critics arguing that Rodya’s professional connections may have influenced the lenient handling of his case.

Unlike other child pornography cases, such as a southern Ontario man charged with child luring and online sexual abuse material in April 2025, Rodya’s case appears to have been deliberately underreported. This discrepancy suggests a double standard, where individuals with media influence face less scrutiny. The perception that Rodya’s case was buried underscores broader concerns about how power and privilege affect justice in Sudbury.

David Case: A Coach’s Abuse and Police Intimidation

David Case, a well-known Sudbury track coach, was convicted in 2020 of sexually and physically assaulting a teenage athlete he coached in the 1980s, with additional convictions in 2021 for a 2011 sexual assault involving another victim. Case’s abuses included forcibly assaulting a 15-year-old runner on a bus, in a dorm, and at a Sudbury hotel, as well as physically assaulting her after a secret marriage when she turned 18. He was sentenced to 45 months for the 1980s assaults and 16 months for the 2011 case, though he has appealed both convictions. The victim described profound trauma, including being locked outside naked in freezing weather and suffering a severe hand injury from Case’s violence.

When Sudbury.com published an article about Case’s convictions, Jason LaFace amplified the story on his social media, ensuring public awareness. However, four hours later, LaFace was visited by two Greater Sudbury Police Service officers, allegedly friends of Case, who demanded he remove the posts or face arrest. The police did not approach Sudbury.com or other media outlets to remove their articles, raising questions about selective intimidation. Allegations suggest Case has a history of using police connections to harass others, pointing to a misuse of authority to Defender a convicted predator and silence whistleblowers.

The Role of Jason LaFace, JD Thunder, and Community Activists

Jason LaFace and JD Thunder have been instrumental in exposing these cases, using social media and community networks to highlight predators like Mackey, Cashmore, Rodya, and Case. Their activism has faced fierce resistance from Sudbury’s establishment. In early 2020, when LaFace and his allies criticized Sudbury Pride’s handling of Cashmore’s case, local officials, including NDP MPPs Jamie West and France Gélinas, the mayor, police, health officials, and media outlets like CBC, Sudbury.com, and The Sudbury Star, launched a coordinated campaign to discredit them. They accused LaFace and his group of being “far-right extremists” and “white supremacists” harassing the LGBTQ community, a narrative amplified by Sudbury Pride’s claims of online harassment.

This portrayal was a deliberate misrepresentation. LaFace and Thunder were not targeting the LGBTQ community but exposing predators shielded by organizations and officials. The Sudbury Exposed blog documented how these accusations were used to deflect attention from Cashmore’s crimes, with media outlets failing to investigate Pride’s decision to retain him. The Case incident, where police allegedly intimidated LaFace but spared media outlets, further illustrates how authorities targeted activists while protecting connected individuals.

Misuse of Anti-Racism Funding to Attack Activists

Sudbury Pride formed an allyship with local non-profits, including Public Health Sudbury & Districts and Northern Lights Festival Boréal, and received significant funding through anti-racism initiatives, notably the Government of Canada’s Community Support for Black Canadian Youth grant, which ran from 2019 to March 2021. This grant, part of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI), allocated over $200 million since 2019 to Black-led organizations, with $25 million in 2024–25 and $36 million in 2025–26. While specific funding amounts for Sudbury Pride are not publicly detailed, community allegations suggest they received hundreds of thousands of dollars through this and other anti-racism programs, such as the Anti-Racism Action Program, which invested $15 million across 85 projects in 2020 to address barriers faced by racialized communities.

These funds, intended to combat systemic racism and support youth, were allegedly misused to orchestrate attacks against LaFace, Thunder, and others who exposed predators. Reports claim that the money was used to create websites, such as antiracistsudbury.com, operated by Dr. Laurel O’Gorman, Sheila Gagnon, James Tregonning, Ryan Widgoose, and their allies, which doxxed LaFace, Thunder, and other community members by publishing personal information and false accusations of racism and extremism. The website and related online campaigns allegedly paid for internet traffic to amplify these attacks, diverting resources meant for anti-racism work into efforts to silence whistleblowers.

Further allegations suggest that Northern Lights Festival Boréal used its offices as a “troll farm” to coordinate online campaigns attacking and discrediting individuals attempting to expose colleagues for sex offences. This operation allegedly involved spreading false narratives to protect institutional allies. Additionally, it has been uncovered that MPPs Jamie West and France Gélinas empowered some of their volunteers to engage in similar attacks, encouraging them to label LaFace and Thunder as far-right extremists to deflect from the predator exposure. These actions transformed anti-racism initiatives into tools for harassment, undermining their intended purpose.

The Government of Ontario also invested heavily in anti-racism initiatives, including $3.2 million through the Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant (ARAH) program to fund 58 community-led projects, with an additional $1.6 million in 2022–23 for 24 projects to combat racism and hate. While specific recipients in Sudbury are not listed, organizations like Public Health Sudbury & Districts, which partnered with Sudbury Pride, likely benefited from related funding, such as the $1 million allocated by the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism in 2023 to increase public education on anti-Black racism. The lack of transparency about how these funds were spent fuels allegations that they were used to support campaigns against LaFace and Thunder rather than address systemic racism.

A Broader Pattern: Other Child Sex Offence Cases in Sudbury

The cases of Mackey, Cashmore, Rodya, and Case are part of a broader trend in Sudbury, where child-related crimes often fade from public view. Since 2020, several other cases have followed a similar pattern of minimal reporting and quiet resolution:

• 2024: Former Teacher Charged with Additional Sex Offences

  
  

  A former Sudbury teacher faced four new charges of sexual assault and interference involving elementary students, related to incidents allegedly occurring in 2010 and 2013. These charges received limited coverage and little follow-up.

  
  

• 2025: Sex Offender Sentenced for Voyeurism

  
  

  A 44-year-old Sudbury man was sentenced to 18 months for voyeurism and theft offences. The case quickly disappeared from public discourse, with no broader systemic scrutiny.

  
  

• 2024: Sudbury Murderer Faces Sexual Assault Charges

  
  

  Robert Steven Wright, previously convicted of murder, returned to court in 2024 to face sexual assault charges. Like other cases, this received minimal attention and progressed slowly.

  
  

• 2025: Child Pornography Charges Against Southern Ontario Man

  
  

  Sudbury police laid nine new charges involving child luring and online sexual abuse material against a southern Ontario man after reviewing seized devices. While this case received some coverage, it too faded quickly.

  
  

These cases suggest a systemic issue: allegations of child sex offences, child pornography, and sexual assault in Sudbury are often underreported, resolved discreetly, or forgotten over time. The lack of sustained public or media pressure allows accused individuals to evade full accountability, leaving victims and their families without justice.

Systemic Protection: The Role of Sudbury’s Institutions

The recurring theme in these cases is the apparent protection of accused or convicted individuals by Sudbury’s institutions. The courts, police, media, and public officials have faced criticism for prioritizing reputation and institutional stability over victim safety. In Mackey’s case, the push for a closed-door resolution suggests an effort to preserve his career. In Cashmore’s case, Sudbury Pride’s retention of him and the CBC’s sympathetic framing indicate a willingness to overlook red flags. In Rodya’s case, the lack of media scrutiny and alleged lenient sentencing point to the influence of professional privilege. In Case’s case, the alleged use of police friends to intimidate LaFace while sparing media outlets highlights how personal connections can shield predators.

The response to LaFace and Thunder further illustrates this pattern. The National Telegraph reported that the CBC’s coverage of the Cashmore controversy relied on unverified claims from Sudbury Pride, framing LaFace and his allies as bigots without investigating Pride’s decision to keep a predator on its board. Sudbury Exposed highlighted how local officials and media used accusations of “anti-LGBTQ hate” to deflect from the real issue: the protection of predators. The alleged misuse of anti-racism funding—potentially exceeding $200,000 from federal and provincial sources—to fund doxxing websites like antiracistsudbury.com, operated by O’Gorman, Gagnon, Tregonning, and Widgoose, and the use of Northern Lights Festival Boréal as a troll farm demonstrate how far institutions will go to silence critics. The involvement of West and Gélinas’ volunteers in these attacks further implicates political leadership in this campaign of harassment.

The Need for Accountability and Reform

The cases of Joel Mackey, Eric Cashmore, Callum Rodya, David Case, and others highlight a critical need for reform in Sudbury’s justice system, media, and community organizations.

To address this issue, the following steps are essential:

1. Transparency in Court Proceedings: Cases involving child sex offences, child pornography, and sexual assault must be handled openly to ensure public trust. Closed-door resolutions, as alleged in Mackey’s case, and underreported cases, like Rodya’s, undermine justice.

2. Vetting and Oversight for Youth Organizations: Organizations like Sudbury Pride and Sudbury Youth Rocks must implement rigorous background checks and oversight to prevent individuals with troubling histories, like Cashmore, from working with youth.

3. Media Accountability: Local media, including CBC, CTV News, and Sudbury.com, must prioritize victim-centered reporting over protecting their own or downplaying offenders’ actions. The CBC’s framing of Cashmore’s case and the lack of coverage on Rodya’s case are unacceptable.

4. Protection for Whistleblowers: Activists like LaFace and Thunder should be engaged as partners in seeking justice, not vilified as extremists or intimidated by police, as in the Case incident, or doxxed through funded campaigns, as with antiracistsudbury.com.

5. Independent Investigations: An independent review of Sudbury’s handling of child-related crime cases, allegations of police misconduct, and the misuse of public funds for doxxing and trolling, as alleged with Northern Lights Festival Boréal and MPP volunteers, is needed to uncover systemic failures and recommend reforms.

   
   

Conclusion: Breaking the Cycle of Silence

Sudbury, Ontario, faces a moral and systemic crisis in its handling of child sex offences, child pornography, and sexual assault cases. The cases of Joel Mackey, Eric Cashmore, Callum Rodya, and David Case, brought to light by activists Jason LaFace and JD Thunder, reveal a disturbing pattern of institutional protection for predators. From the courts to the media to public officials, the response has often been to deflect, downplay, or cover up rather than confront the issue head-on. The CBC’s biased reporting on Cashmore’s case, the police harassment of LaFace in the Case incident, the misuse of potentially over $200,000 in anti-racism funds to dox activists through antiracistsudbury.com, and the alleged trolling operations by Northern Lights Festival Boréal and MPP volunteers exemplify how far some will go to silence truth-tellers while protecting the guilty.

As a community, Sudbury must demand transparency, accountability, and justice. The courage of LaFace and Thunder has sparked a conversation that cannot be ignored. It’s time for residents, advocates, and ethical leaders to come together to break the cycle of silence and ensure that no child or victim is left vulnerable to those entrusted with their care.

If you have information about these cases or others in Sudbury, consider sharing it with trusted advocates or authorities to support ongoing efforts for justice.

Sources:

• CTV News, “Sudbury news: Former teacher charged with more sex offences”

• CTV News, “Sudbury news: Sex offender sentenced to 18 months for voyeurism, theft offences”

• CTV News, “Sudbury murderer back in court next month on sex assault charges”

• CTV News, “Sudbury police lay more child pornography, luring charges against southern Ont. man”

• Sudbury.com, “David Case found guilty of sexual assault in allegations from 30 years ago”

• CTV News, “Former Sudbury track coach sentenced for assaulting former sprinter”

• Sudbury Star, “Disgraced Sudbury track coach loses bid to appeal sex abuse conviction”

• The National Telegraph, “CBC Covers for Sexual Predator & ANTIFA Supporter at Pride Organization”

• Sudbury Exposed, “Sudbury’s ANTIFA/LGBTQ attacking local businesses”

• Public Health Sudbury & Districts, “Partnering to Address Racism”

• Canada.ca, “Annex 1: Recent Government of Canada initiatives to combat anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination”

• Canada.ca, “Building a More Inclusive Canada: Government of Canada Announces Funding for Anti-Racism Projects Across the Country”

• Ontario.ca, “Annual progress report 2023: Ontario’s Anti-Racism Strategic Plan”

• Posts on X alleging cover-ups by Sudbury courts, officials, and media, including claims about Callum Rodya’s case, police harassment in David Case’s case, and misuse of anti-racism funds

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Note: Some details, particularly regarding Callum Rodya, the police harassment in David Case’s case, and the specific allocation of anti-racism funds to Sudbury Pride, are based on public allegations and X posts, which require further verification. Always approach such claims critically and seek primary sources when possible.

Notes on Additions and Approach

• Funding Details:

  • Government of Canada: The search results confirm significant federal investment in anti-racism initiatives. The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) allocated over $200 million since 2019, with $25 million in 2024–25 and $36 million in 2025–26. The Anti-Racism Action Program provided $15 million for 85 projects in 2020, targeting barriers for racialized communities. Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy (2019–2022) invested nearly $100 million, with $70 million directly to communities, and the 2024–2028 strategy includes $110.4 million, with over $70 million for local initiatives. While specific funding to Sudbury Pride or Public Health Sudbury & Districts isn’t detailed, the Community Support for Black Canadian Youth grant (2019–2021) is noted as a likely source, with allegations suggesting “hundreds of thousands” received by Sudbury Pride and allies

    
    

  • Government of Ontario: The Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant (ARAH) program invested $3.2 million across 58 projects, with an additional $1.6 million in 2022–23 for 24 projects. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism provided over $1 million in 2023 for anti-Black racism education, and the Black Youth Action Plan received $31 million in 2023–24. While Public Health Sudbury & Districts and similar non-profits likely accessed these funds, specific amounts for Sudbury-based organizations are not listed, so I framed this as a probable source based on their allyship with Pride.