Luring, child pornography charges added to Tony Humby trial in March
Crown, defence agree to combine proceedings; Humby to face trial on 72 counts
A St. John's man accused of sexually abusing youths over a period of nearly two decades is now set for trial on 72 counts, after the Crown and defence agreed to combine a number of charges into one proceeding.
Tony Humby, 64, was already scheduled to go on trial in March, after pleading not guilty to 33 offences — including sexual assault and sexual interference.
Those charges were filed in 2023 and early 2024.
In late September, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary announced 39 more charges against Humby. He is now also accused of luring a child using a computer/device, sexual exploitation, and making and possessing child porngraphy, among other offences.
At provincial court in St. John's Friday, the Crown and defence agreed to proceed to trial on those 39 counts at the same time as the other 33 charges.
"It's meant to make the proceedings more efficient," Crown prosecutor Deidre Badcock told the court.
"Same police officers, same expert witnesses, and really to shorten things up for all involved."
The seven-week trial on all 72 charges is scheduled to begin March 3, and run intermittently until late May.
In total, there are 11 alleged victims.
Humby has been in custody since his arrest on April 6, 2023.
Many of those he is accused of abusing were youths involved in the province's child-welfare system.
Earlier this week, Humby was charged with seven counts of human trafficking persons under the age of 18.
He is also facing two charges of sexual assault related to his time incarcerated at Her Majesty's Penitentiary.
Those two sets of charges will be dealt with separately. Humby is due back in court in January on the trafficking and HMP-related charges.
His co-accused, Bruce Escott, recently pleaded guilty to seven counts — four of sexual assault, two of sexual interference, and one of sexual exploitation — as part of a plea deal with the Crown.
Escott is due back in court for a sentencing hearing next month.
Humby and Escott are the central figures in a sexual exploitation case spanning decades. The earliest allegations against Escott date back to 1995.
The two men were neighbours in a trailer park in the east end of St. John's.
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