The trial date for a Drumheller man charged in a case with international ties has been rescheduled to allow the accused time to settle personal matters.
Counsel Michael James appeared on behalf of Shawn Albrecht in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, July 22 to request the original trial date, which was previously set for Wednesday, August 3, be rescheduled.
Albrecht, 45, was arrested in January 2022 following a year-long joint investigation between the Drumheller RCMP, Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, and a policing agency in the United States. He faces several charges, including making sexually explicit material available to someone under the age of 18.
Mr. James explained the accused intends to purchase the residence where he is currently residing, which belonged to his recently deceased brother.
He is currently pursuing financing options.
Due to ongoing arrangements, Mr. James asked for the trial date to be rescheduled to Friday, September 23 to allow additional time for Mr. Albrecht to settle these affairs.
The Honourable Judge J. Schriar granted the request to vacate the original trial date and rescheduled the trial to September 23.

Patty the Parasaurolophus is too shaken up to comment on two recent incidents that saw thieves snatch an unknown amount of monetary donations for the Rotary Club of Drumheller from her collection purse.
Both incidents took place along the pathway at the Rotary Spray Park; it is estimated the first incident took place sometime around Canada Day, and the second incident took place sometime prior to Friday, July 15.
“Every nickel (the Rotary) makes goes right back into the community. It’s not just robbing from Patty or the Rotary, it’s taking from everything the Rotary does in the community,” Rotarian Brent Pedersen shares with the Mail.
Jerry’s Lock and Key repaired the lock on Patty’s purse after the first incident.
The second incident was discovered when Mr. Pedersen went to collect donations from Patty’s purse and discovered the locking mechanism and hinges were damaged.
These instances have been reported to the Drumheller RCMP detachment and an investigation is ongoing.
Police are asking any potential witnesses, or anyone with information regarding the thefts to come forward.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Drumheller RCMP at 403-823-7590. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.