‘We expect adults to know better,’ Judge tells sex offender

A Waterford man who engaged in sexual activity with a teen he connected with on social media was sent to prison for sexual interference and child pornography offenses.

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Kevin Beam, 58, was given a four-year sentence by Justice Robert Gee in Simcoe’s Ontario Court recently after the judge dismissed any idea that the teenager had any responsibility in Beam’s offense.

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Beam’s defense lawyer noted that the victim in the case related to his age to use the Grindr dating app and reached out many times to Beam.

“The victim’s participation in no way diminishes Mr. Beam’s responsibility for any of this,” said the judge sharply.

“It has no bearing on his moral culpability. He was a 50-something-year-old grownup and the victim was a child.”

Assistant Crown attorney Gracie Romano said the teen participated in sexual activities with Beam but asked him to stop some acts.

More than a year later, when the teen was 16, they met again and had sex.

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The teen and his father approached the OPP to complain about another issue and, during police questioning, the details about Beam’s activities came to light.

After being arrested, police got a search warrant for Beam’s phone and found a small collection of child pornography that included photos of the victim.

Romano asked Gee to sentence Beam to four years in prison despite his lack of a record and positive pre-sentence report.

“The complainant was legally a child … a young man struggling and wanting to explore his sexual identity,” Romano said. “Mr. Beam was aware he was only 14 when they met.”

Defense lawyer Shawn Swarts asked for a two- to three-year sentence, saying Beam was in a “dark, lonely place at the time,” dealing with depression.

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“He regrets it and has shown enormous remorse. He has sought counseling from a psychotherapist and cognitive behavioral therapy. This was never going to trial.”

Beam expressed his own deep regret for the “great amount of suffering” he caused the victim, the victim’s family and his own family and friends.

“I see the deep impact my decision has made upon people who did not deserve that.”

Gee explained that Canada’s developing knowledge of the long-term harm caused to victims of child pornography and sexual abuse has caused sentences to rise over the last few decades and “victim participation” is never an excuse.

“We expect adults to know better,” Gee said.

He said he would follow the clear directives from the Supreme Court and he sentenced Beam to four years in prison, along with 20 years on the sexual offenders list.

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