Sentencing for child luring following a guilty plea where the accused engaged in months of sexually explicit online communications with two undercover officers he believed were 14 and 13 years old.
The court held that, under the post-Friesen sentencing framework, denunciation and deterrence were the primary objectives, and that the absence of actual child victims in a sting operation did not materially reduce moral blameworthiness.
Aggravating factors included the very young ages of the purported victims, the prolonged and deliberate grooming conduct, detailed planning for in-person sexual contact, and the intention to exploit two children.
Mitigating factors included the guilty plea, remorse, counselling, lack of prior record, low risk of reoffending, and collateral employment consequences.
A conditional sentence was rejected as unfit, and a custodial sentence of two years less a day, followed by probation and ancillary orders, was imposed.
