Archbishop pleads not guilty in Winnipeg courtroom to sex assault on boys
WINNIPEG - The archbishop of an orthodox church has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault against two boys in Winnipeg.
Seraphim Storheim is accused of repeated sexual assaults on two boys in the mid-1980s when he worked as a rector for the Orthodox Church in America.
He had served as a priest in Alberta, North Carolina and London, Ont., and later became the head of the church's Canadian archdiocese.
Storheim, who is in his late 60s, sat quietly as his trial began.
The Crown and defence have been discussing potential evidence in a voir dire, the contents of which cannot be reported.
The Orthodox Church in America has 700 parishes, missions and other institutions across North America.
It is separate from other Orthodox churches such as the Greek Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
