The accused, R.O., was sentenced for sexual touching and invitation to sexual touching of his 12-year-old stepdaughter, with the sexual assault conviction stayed under the Kienapple principle.
The court emphasized denunciation and deterrence as primary sentencing objectives for child sexual abuse, as per R. v. Friesen.
Despite the accused being a first-time offender with a low risk of reoffending and strong community support, the court found that a conditional sentence would not adequately reflect the gravity of the offences or the offender's moral blameworthiness due to the breach of trust and protracted nature of the abuse.
The court imposed a sentence of two years less a day imprisonment, followed by three years of probation, along with various ancillary orders including DNA sample, Sex Offender Information Registration, weapon prohibition, and non-contact orders.
A victim fine surcharge was waived due to undue hardship.