Yasin Cetin trial adjourned after Crown cites new evidence that could affect alibi
Yasin Cetin trial in Edmonton adjourned May 25, 2026 after prosecutors revealed evidence that could alter an agreed statement in a child-sex-abuse case.
The Yasin Cetin trial in Edmonton was abruptly paused on May 25, 2026 after Crown prosecutors told the Court of King’s Bench they discovered evidence that may fundamentally change the case’s agreed statement of facts. The trial, scheduled to run five days without a jury, was adjourned for the remainder of the day after the Crown informed Justice Kent Teskey that the new material could force a reassessment of its theory. Defence counsel has indicated an intention to call alibi evidence, and the Crown flagged that the recently found item, disclosed over a lunch break, could affect that defence. Cetin, a former Edmonton Police Service community relations co-ordinator, has pleaded not guilty to child-luring and sexual-assault charges.
Adjournment announced after lunch-hour disclosure
Prosecutor David Gault told the court the discovery occurred during the lunch break on the first day of trial and had the potential to “so radically” alter the Crown’s case that the agreed facts might need to be scrapped. The sudden disclosure prompted an immediate adjournment at the Crown’s request and left routine testimony incomplete for the day. Justice Kent Teskey agreed to halt proceedings while counsel considered the implications and prepared next steps. The matter will resume on dates set by the court after the parties consult.
Charges, background and defendant’s status
Yasin Cetin resigned from the Edmonton Police Service in May 2024 and was charged in March 2025, court records show. He faces allegations that he sexually abused a 14-year-old boy after meeting him online in late 2023; Cetin has pleaded not guilty. The accused is not in custody and the five-day bench trial is expected to address identity and contact issues central to the Crown’s case. The youth’s identity remains protected by a publication ban.
Crown outlines identity-focused evidence
The Crown has said its case depends largely on proving who was present during the alleged assaults, with identity evidence playing a pivotal role. Prosecutors intend to rely on a short video clip the complainant recorded during one of the incidents that briefly shows a man’s face, along with a separate selfie that the Crown says resembles the accused. David Gault told the court these visual items are central to linking the alleged conduct to Cetin, and that any new material that undermines that link would require re-evaluating previously agreed facts.
Digital trail, production orders and contested links
Investigators traced online contact between the teen and a user who initially connected on the dating app Scruff and later communicated via Snapchat under the screen names qwerty3125 and BADlee. Police sought and obtained court orders requiring Snapchat to produce account data, and later pursued records tied to the email address associated with the account. The Crown’s earlier agreed statement of facts acknowledged that Snapchat’s production did not establish a link between the BADlee account and the accused, and that an email tied to the account was associated with a telephone number belonging to an unrelated man.
Forensic examinations and their limits
Forensic analysis of Cetin’s cellphone and laptop did not produce evidence directly connecting him to the Snapchat account or to the complainant, according to agreed facts filed in court. Investigators reported limitations: the phone was partially locked and the laptop remained password-protected, preventing a full forensic review. Those technical barriers feature in defence arguments about the strength of the Crown’s digital case, and they have left key questions about account ownership unresolved. The newly disclosed evidence referenced by the Crown may intersect with those technical issues.
Victim testimony and video interview played in court
The complainant testified remotely on the first day by video link, accompanied by a support dog from the Zebra Centre, and the court viewed his police interview. In that recorded statement the youth was unable to describe the type of vehicle driven by the man or provide a residential address, and he said he had lost contact details. The teen told investigators that the Snapchat user’s location pin appeared to be across the street from a home where he had previously lived. Crown and defence lawyers are expected to probe those inconsistencies as the trial resumes.
The trial is being heard by a judge alone and is expected to run for five days, during which both sides will address identity evidence, the chain of digital records, and the potential alibi the defence intends to call. Defence lawyer Zachary Al-Khatib has signalled alibi evidence will be part of his client’s strategy, and the Crown has made clear that its case hinges on establishing who appears in the visual material. The court will reconvene to allow parties to consider the newly disclosed material and determine whether the agreed statement of facts must be revised.
