Published Monday, Jul. 24, 2017 3:53PM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Jul. 25, 2017 5:24PM EDT

With a rare approval from the Attorney-General’s office, Peel Regional Police have charged a Mississauga resident with a hate-motivated crime in relation to several reported incidents of material published online targeting Muslims.

Police said that after a lengthy investigation, 45-year-old Kevin Johnston faces one count of wilful promotion of hatred for incidents occurring over the past five months. The charge, which police had to receive permission from the Attorney-General of Ontario to lay, could result in up to two years in prison.

“There were a number of complaints with regards to different incidents, so there is no one specific incident that the charge was laid because of,” Sergeant Josh Colley said, adding that specifics on the incidents could not be disclosed in case it jeopardizes the investigation or court proceedings.

Mr. Johnston has posted hundreds of videos across various social media platforms and on his far-right website, Freedom Report, that mostly focus on denigrating Muslims and arguing that Islam is a threat to the country. He protested against the federal anti-Islamophobia motion, M-103 and in one video, accused Mississauga-Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid of being a “terrorist” who could be shot by a “Canadian patriot.”

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