R.D. was found guilty by a jury of three counts of sexual assault, three counts of sexual interference, and one count of invitation to sexual touching against N.W., a young child and his de facto stepdaughter.
The court considered aggravating factors including abuse of trust, the victim's young age (6-7), multiple instances of abuse, and the offender's prior criminal record.
R.D. denied the offences and expressed no remorse.
Emphasizing denunciation and deterrence, and guided by R. v. Friesen, the court imposed a global sentence of 5.5 years imprisonment, reduced to an effective sentence of 4 years after accounting for pre-sentence custody credits, including a substantial Duncan credit for harsh conditions at Maplehurst Correctional Complex.
Ancillary orders were also imposed.