British Columbia

B.C. Interior health official facing sex charges in Alberta released from custody

RCMP say 52-year-old Albert de Villiers is expected to appear in provincial court in Grande Prairie, Alta., on June 30.

Albert De Villiers faces 1 count of sexual assault and 1 count of sexual interference

Man in office looks at camera
Dr. Albert de Villiers is the chief medical health officer for Interior Health in B.C. He has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference in Alberta. (CBC News)

Police say a chief medical officer of health for the southern Interior of British Columbia who was arrested on sex charges has been released from custody on the condition he appear in court later this month.

RCMP say 52-year-old Albert de Villiers is expected in provincial court in Grande Prairie, Alta., on June 30.

De Villiers faces one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference.

Police say he was arrested in Kelowna, B.C., on Tuesday after a warrant was issued in Grande Prairie.

They say the alleged offences involving a child occurred between 2018 and 2020 and were investigated by its Special Investigative Unit.

De Villiers was a medical officer of health for Alberta's north zone for 16 years until July 2020 before accepting a post in British Columbia, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

With files from CBC News