A young woman accused in a child pornography and sexual assault case was in Orillia court today, a day after one of her co-accused appeared in Barrie court.
Avery Taylor, 20, appeared in Orillia court to set more court dates to keep moving the case along.
Taylor is one of three young adults facing serious charges for crimes against children. Shayne Lund, 22, from Penetanguishene, and 19-year-old Kathryn Thompson have also been charged.
Those alleged crimes include sexual assault, making, possessing and distributing child pornography, conspiring to administer a noxious substance, and even bestiality. The alleged crimes took place this past summer, mainly in Orillia.
The three accused are currently charged separately, but that could change in the coming weeks.
“We are in the process of getting more disclosure,” says Taylor’s lawyer Mel Malick. “Really though the crown is trying to decide whether to join three separately charged people under one information and become formal co-accused. We would like to know that soon because we've been hearing that for weeks and that would have a great impact how you would defend your client and where your trial would go.”
Malick adds of his client, “Personally I think Avery is doing as well as one can do in jail. She seems to be well groomed, she's looking good. She's smiling when she comes to court. She seems to me to be in control of her circumstance.”
Taylor has been in custody for almost three months. Her grandparents also attended court today as did family members of some of the victims. Taylor is scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 21, 2014.
The OPP have not yet commented on this investigation even though we have asked them repeatedly for an interview. Lund is the son of an OPP officer.
