Sentencing followed a jury conviction for historical sexual exploitation and sexual assault committed against a 15-year-old child living in the offender's home under his care.
Applying the Supreme Court's guidance in Friesen and Sheppard, the court treated denunciation and deterrence as paramount, emphasized the profound harm of sexual violence against children, and placed substantial weight on the repeated abuse, the domestic setting, and the offender's high position of trust.
Mitigating factors included the offender's age, lack of prior record, difficult childhood, and the custodial impact on his elderly spouse, but these did not justify the defence position.
A penitentiary sentence of four years was imposed, the sexual assault count was stayed under Kienapple, and ancillary orders were granted, with the s. 161 orders later vacated as unavailable at the time of the offences.
