The offender, a pastor, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault against two young parishioners during a purported religious 'cleansing' ceremony.
The Crown sought a sentence of 3 to 5 months' imprisonment, emphasizing the egregious abuse of trust.
The court agreed that the offences warranted a 5-month custodial sentence to address denunciation and deterrence.
However, the court found that the offender's almost three years spent on stringent house arrest bail conditions, which prevented him from working, had a substantial impact on his life and amounted to a form of punishment.
Applying the principle of proportionality, the court granted credit for the house arrest equal to the requested custodial term, imposing a suspended sentence with three years of probation, along with DNA, weapons prohibition, and SOIRA orders.
