Nova Scotia

Former Atlantic BBB president changes plea to guilty on sexual offences

Peter Moorhouse, 48, has pleaded guilty to two sexual offences involving a young girl.

Peter Alan Moorhouse appeared in a Shubenacadie, N.S., courtroom Monday

An image of a bald man with a grey goatee. He is wearing a light grey suit jacket over a light blue dress shirt.
Peter Moorhouse pictured in 2016 when he was president and CEO of the BBB of the Atlantic provinces. He was also a prominent member of Bedford United Church and was on the board of ISANS. (CBC)

The former head of the Better Business Bureau in Atlantic Canada has pleaded guilty to two sexual offences involving a young girl.  Peter Alan Moorhouse, 48, entered the guilty pleas during an appearance in Nova Scotia Provincial Court in Shubenacadie on Monday morning.

Moorhouse has admitted to producing child pornography and making an arrangement with someone to commit an offence against someone under the age of 16.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges last fall.

Two other charges that Moorhouse faces will be dealt with when the case returns to court in August.

Moorhouse was charged along with another man, Carlos Moraga, 37, who is facing charges of sexual interference, making child pornography and making an arrangement to commit a sexual offence against a child.

Moraga has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to face a four-day, judge-alone trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in April of next year.

He is also scheduled to appear in provincial court later this month on two charges of allegedly failing to abide by the conditions of his release.

Both Moorhouse and Moraga have been free on conditions while their cases have made their way through the courts.

Moorhouse was president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Atlantic Canada until the charges were laid in February of last year and he was subsequently fired.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Blair Rhodes

Reporter

Blair Rhodes has been a journalist for more than 40 years, the last 31 with CBC. His primary focus is on stories of crime and public safety. He can be reached at blair.rhodes@cbc.ca