Sentencing for intrafamilial sexual offences committed by an adoptive father against two developmentally delayed daughters, including sexual interference of one complainant as a child and sexual assault and sexual exploitation of the other complainant as a dependent vulnerable adult.
The court held that denunciation and deterrence were the primary sentencing objectives under ss. 718 and 718.01 of the Criminal Code, with abuse of trust, multiple vulnerable complainants, repeated misconduct, escalation of sexual acts, and minimization of responsibility constituting significant aggravating factors.
Although the offender had no prior record, some guilty pleas, employment history, family support, expressions of remorse, and a low assessed risk of reoffending, the court found the defence proposal of intermittent and conditional sentences entirely unfit.
A global sentence of four years' imprisonment was imposed, together with ancillary weapons, DNA, and sex offender registry orders.
