The Weekly Albertan

Thomas Innerebner, 52, faces eight counts of touching children under 14 for a sexual purpose and nine counts of sexual assault.

Dave Hill, crown prosecutor, said there will be 20 witness including seven alleged child victims.

Innerebner’s lawyer, Brian Beresh, said in an opening statement that his client’s contact might have been misinterpreted.

“The defence position is Mr. Innerebner never sexually assaulted anyone,” Beresh said.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.

Early Tuesday morning, an Edmonton cab driver was assaulted and his taxi was stolen after giving a man a ride.

At around 3:50 a.m. the driver picked up the man. When he dropped the man off, the man allegedly threatened the driver with a knife and demanded cash.

The cab driver fought off the man and escaped. Then the man drove off in the cab, which was recovered later Tuesday morning. Police are looking for a man around 30-years-old, average height and stocky build.

Victim of a gunshot wound to the head in Edmonton on Sunday was identified as 23-year-old Robleh Ali Mohamed.

Police responded to reports of gunshots and found Mohamed’s body in the driver’s seat of a car parked in the alley. A motive hasn't been established by the police.

An Edmonton veteran police officer was found guilty Tuesday for obstruction of justice and breach of trust for interfering in an impaired driving case.

Det. Wallace James MacNeil’s son, 20-years-old at the time, was arrested for impaired driving in February 2005.

MacNeil sent requests to the province and to Edmonton Police case management for his son’s driver’s license suspension be lifted. At the bottom of both forms he typed the name of another police officer.

MacNeil has been suspended without pay from the Edmonton Police Service since being charged in August 2007. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 17.