A Norfolk man was given a seven-year term in prison after insisting he hadn’t sexually assaulted his teenage step-daughter, despite being found naked in her bed early one morning.
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“It’s a little galling to hear ‘I didn’t do this’ after you had the opportunity to stand up (during trial) and say that to the court,” said Justice Richard Blouin.
The 38-year-old man, who can’t be named as it would identify his victim, chose not to testify at his multi-day trial, but complained to the judge just before sentencing that his former family “hates” him.
“I didn’t do this s—t. They hated me since I walked in there. My life is now in your hands,” said the man, who moved in with a mother of three in 2013 and then had three more children with her.
He was found guilty of sexual interference and exposure to a young person after the girl, her mother and her brother testified they had found him naked in the teen’s room, which was normally locked, in December 2021.
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“This alone, despite any possible explanation, is shocking,” said the judge.
The discovery led to a day of emotional upheaval as the teen’s mother drove the man to the police station while a younger brother called in both the police and his biological father.
The girl was also taken to hospital so that a sexual assault assessment could be done. A DNA expert testified at trial that the DNA found on the girl’s body was almost positively the man’s.
Eventually, the teen admitted that the abuse had begun when she was about eight when the man exposed himself to her. At 12, he began having full sexual intercourse with her and it became a near-daily occurrence.
In her victim-impact statement, the young woman said she initially hated the man she thought was taking her father’s place but eventually developed a bond with him that he exploited.
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“I blame myself every day for not speaking up,” the girl wrote. “I never felt safe. It’s now been two years and I hope me and my family will never hear from you again.”
The man’s ex-wife said she feels at fault and the offenses had a dramatic impact on the entire family, including the man’s small children who can’t see their father.
“For months, I woke up having nightmares from what I saw, and rather than manning up and taking responsibility for his actions, he’s dragged it out for two years.”
Assistant Crown attorney Ed Slater pushed for the man to be sentenced to eight or nine years in prison, but defense lawyer Katie Heathcote presented case law arguing for five-and-a-half years.
“It’s obvious to say the offenses have caused extraordinary harm to the family,” said the judge.
“All forms of sexual assault on children are concerning, disturbing and horrifying, but when you’re talking about hundreds of incidences of sexual intercourse, starting at age 12, that is at the high end of aggravating.”
Blouin sentenced the man to seven years, less credit for 216 days of custody he spent after his bail was revoked.
“I hope everyone can do their best to heal from this,” he said.
@EXPSGamble
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