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Alleged abductor granted bail

A man charged with abduction by a parent/guardian has been released on bail in Cranbrook Supreme Court.

A man charged with abduction by a parent/guardian has been released on bail in Cranbrook Supreme Court.

Robert Barnett will have a trial by judge and jury in Cranbrook Supreme Court starting June 18.

In the meantime, Barnett has been released on a $10,000 recognizance, with his parents acting as sureties.

He was ordered not to reside with his parents, but to advise a bail supervisor of his residence. He cannot possess or consume drugs or alcohol. Barnett must abide by the terms of any family court order; he cannot attend his parents' home while the child connected to the alleged abduction is present without Ministry of Children and Family Development approval; and he must surrender his passport to Cranbrook RCMP.

Barnett is charged with abduction by a parent/guardian and theft over $5,000 in connection with the November 2012 alleged abduction of a three-year-old boy from Fernie.

The incident last November sparked an Amber Alert, and the boy was found safe the next day in Whitefish, Montana.

Barnett's trial is set to start on June 18 with jury selection, and is expected to last four days in Supreme Court.

At his last appearance in January, Barnett chose to represent himself. However, he has now selected counsel to represent him during the bail hearing and the upcoming trial.