‘It is depravity’: Norfolk man sentenced for long-term incest

A Norfolk county man who grew up sexually abusing his step-sisters and impregnating one, was sent to prison last month.

The 36-year-old man – who can’t be named in order to protect the identity of his victims – has since moved out of the province, married and has children of his own, but returned to Simcoe to face his punishment.

“There is absolutely no excuse for this conduct,” said Justice Gethin Edward as he sentenced the man to six years in a penitentiary. “It is depravity.”

Edward said the man could have expected a sentence toward the higher end of the range for such crimes but for the fact that he pleaded guilty and was an abused child himself. He was 10 years old when the torment of his sisters began.

The man originally pleaded not guilty to charges of eight counts of sexual assault, four counts of sexual interference, three counts of incest and one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm.

However, an agreement with Crown attorney Shane Hickingbottom was reached for the man to plead guilty to the one count that was incontrovertible: incest for impregnating one of his sisters when she was 14 years old and he was 18.

“The Crown didn’t proceed with most of those charges because they occurred when he was a youth,” said Hickingbottom. “However, the one offense was as an adult and that … would have been proven with the assistance of DNA.”

Hickingbottom said he believed the man hadn’t been remorseful but only pleaded guilty because of the “insurmountable” DNA evidence.

In a pre-sentence report, the man told an interviewer that he felt “railroaded” into a corner by the legal system.

The man’s sisters each shared emotional victim impact statements about the long-term effects of the abuse that left them with trauma, nightmares and sleep issues.

“I was molested from the time I was four to the time I was 15,” said one of the women.

“My entire life I tried to forget the trauma. Depression makes it hard to deal with day-to-day life. The thought of suicide crossed my mind so many times.”

Her sister, who gave birth to the man’s child, said she still doesn’t sleep well because of the “monster who hid under my bed.”

“You degraded and abused me with your lack of self-control. You sexually and physically abused me almost daily. I was so scared of you.”

Both women also shared messages of strength.

“Today I stand here to tell you you will no longer have this power over me,” said one. “Today I truly begin my healing journey.”

Her sister said she will not give the man any more time or energy.

“You will never hold that power over me again.”

Justice Edward thanked the women for their statements. While some courts discount the value of hearing from victims, he said he welcomes a chance to put names to faces and hear the impact of crimes in real terms.

“Trial judges can become numb because we deal with things like this all too-frequently.”

Along with a six-year sentence for the man, Edward ordered him to submit his DNA for the national offenders database and be registered on the sexual offenders list for 20 years.

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