A Prince George man was sentenced to 18 months in jail on Monday after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual interference of children under the age of 16.
The 50-year-old man, who can't be named to protect the identity of the three victims, was in a common law relationship with the mother of three boys when he molested them. The boys were between the ages of eight and 11 years old at the time of the repeated fondling of genitalia, which occurred over a period of three years.
In issuing his sentence, Judge Victor Galbraith said he was particularly moved by the victim impact statement of the oldest of the three victims who said the assaults "put a blackness around my heart and I don't know how long it will be there." The man was handed an 18-month sentence for each count, but the sentences are to be served concurrently.
The assaults began before the man moved in with the boys' mother and continued after he lived with them. Two of the three boys reported that the man touched their genitals daily while living with them.
In victim impact statements read into the court, all three boys said the repeated touching left them with an inability to trust people, nightmares and depression. Two of the boys have inflicted harm on themselves and have had suicidal thoughts. They also reported have difficulty concentrating at school and feeling alienated from others.
Crown counsel Cassandra Malfair asked for jail term of between 12 and 24 months for the crime, citing the need for both denunciation of the man's crimes and deterrence for other possible sex offenders. She said that since he was in a position of authority - the boys considered him like a stepfather - the breach of trust was an aggravating factor in the crime. She also listed the fact there were multiple victims and repeated offences as aggravating factors as well as the young age of the victims and the lasting impact it has had on all three of them.
Defence lawyer Keith Jones pointed to his client's guilty plea as a mitigating factor in sentencing because the three victims would not have to testify to the assaults in court.
Jones also said that, although his client doesn't agree with all the accusations that have been levied against him, he does agree that assaults occurred, is remorseful and is willing to seek treatment.
Jones said his client was a victim of a sexual assault himself when he was young and said his decision to abuse the boys was part of a generational cycle of sexual abuse.
"Every time I encounter a sexual offender, I also encounter a victim," Jones told the court in asking for a sentence in the range of nine to 12 months.
A pre-sentence report and psychiatric evaluation determined the man was a low to moderate risk to re-offend, with the greatest risk occurring if he was in an intimate relationship with someone who had guardianship of young children.
Both the defence and Crown recommended the man be sent to Ford Mountain Correctional Centre in Chilliwack, where he will be able to take a special course for sex offenders.
Jones said his client's employer has said they would be willing to re-hire him back after he completes his sentence.
In addition to his jail sentence, the man was handed a probation term of three years and will be added to the sex offender registry.
