Lower Mainland driver pleads guilty to committing indecent act at red light

CONTENT ADVISORY

A Port Moody man has pleaded guilty to committing an indecent act in connection with a video recorded of a driver masturbating while stopped at a red light last spring.

The incident happened on May 12, 2022, on the Lougheed Highway in Burnaby, and RCMP officers were able to identify the suspect after reaching out to the public. A teenager riding on a bus, who was stopped at the same red light, saw what was happening and recorded  a video.

On August 18, 2022, Patrick Joseph Paul Pelletier, 60, from Port Moody was charged with two counts of committing an indecent act, and on Feb. 27, he pleaded guilty to one count, according to a Burnaby RCMP release issued Thursday, March 9.

The investigation was led by the Burnaby RCMP’s High Risk Offender Unit. Officers first identified the suspect vehicle and then the suspect.

RCMP didn't say in the release when or if Pelletier has been sentenced.

“We would like to acknowledge the teenage victim in this case for coming forward to police and sharing video that was instrumental in this investigation,” RCMP Sgt. Aly Mohan said in the release. “It is important that police hear about these types of incidents, as this type of criminal behaviour is not acceptable in our community.”

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