2021-01-20

Television outdoorsman Rugged Dude convicted of two sexual assaults in Lunenburg County

A former Ontario television personality, known by outdoors enthusiasts as "Rugged Dude" or "RD," has been convicted of sexually assaulting two female employees during a time he operated a Lunenburg County business.

Originally born Patrick Glen Keeley, he changed his name in the early 2000s to Glen Rugged Dude Carson at the advice of marketing experts who wanted to match the popular fishing, hunting and comedy show, which ran from 2003 and 2009, with the personality. This is according to a pre-sentence report prepared by the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General for the Bridgewater court.

Carson, 58 and a twice-divorced father of two daughters, now lives in northern Ontario. He was expected to resume work as a cook at a fishing lodge in the province, according to the report.

He'll serve a four-month conditional sentence there, which includes house arrest, and six months of supervised release. Carson also had to submit a DNA sample to the national databank, and he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Carson moved to Lunenburg County in 2014. He and a girlfriend built an off-grid home in Crouses Settlement and were partners in a fast-food business in Bridgewater.

At the business, in the spring of 2018, Carson approached a female worker from behind and grabbed her buttock, reads one written court sentencing decision. The victim was shocked and yelled out. He asked her, "'What are you going to do, call the Labour Board?'" She replied, "'It is not the Labour Board you need to worry about, it's my husband.'"

She quit the job the next day and reported the incident to the police.

Carson was convicted of the crime following four days of trial, which took place in the spring of 2019 and continued in the spring and fall of 2020. A separate trial, held in the spring of 2019 and summer of 2020, on the other sexual assault charge, was based on allegations dating between 2017 and 2018, and also ended in a conviction. Both trials were held in provincial court in Bridgewater. A third allegation involving another female was dismissed in 2019.

Carson, who had no prior criminal record, was sentenced for both sexual assaults on January 5.

He maintains his innocence, court records indicate, and his family and girlfriend support his denial.

"The offender made the decision to leave the province of Nova Scotia in an effort to get away from what he described as an inability to reside without harassment in the [Lunenburg County] area," reads the pre-sentence report, resulting in the offloading of his home and business.

Carson, who appeared in a Food Network episode of Grill It! with Bobby Flay several years ago, described himself on his now-defunct personal website as someone "not known to be politically correct and couldn't give a sweet sh*t what people think of him."

"The offender sees himself as the victim of false allegations and spent quite a bit of time and energy attempting to convince the writer of his innocence as well as in his efforts to discredit the victim," the pre-sentence report indicated. "He is adamant in his denial of any wrongdoing," it said.

The pre-sentence report, dated December 2020, noted that efforts were underway to appeal his convictions. His defence lawyer, Michael Power, confirmed to LighthouseNOW his client "intends to" appeal.

The pre-sentence report indicated Carson's girlfriend wanted to stay close to family and didn't join him in Ontario. It noted that she explained Carson "was never once disrespectful or inappropriate with her and that he is not misogynistic in any way."

One of Carson's victims, in a statement outlining the impact on her of the sexual assault, said she is in therapy and suffers extreme anxiety, has nightmares and suffers depression.

"Hearing her testify at trial, I expect that she will heal from this situation and this confident, well-spoken, woman will go on with her life not blaming herself in any manner for this offence perpetrated against her," Judge Ronda van der Hoek said in a written decision concerning the case.

Van der Hoek stated that Carson abused a position of authority and his actions were designed to humiliate.

"We do not live in a television comedy world such as 'Alice' where slapping a waitress on the buttocks was seen as a joke rather than the demeaning sexual assault that it is," said the judge.