A Kamloops-area man who groomed and repeatedly sexually abused a young family friend has been ordered to spend more than four years in federal prison.
The 29-year-old man cannot be named under a court-ordered publication ban put in place to protect the identity of his victim. He was convicted by a jury in June on charges of sexual assault, sexual interference of a person under 15 and invitation to sexual touching of a person under 16.
The offences took place between 2016 and 2019, when the victim was between nine and 11 years old.
Castanet is not naming the community in which the offences took place to avoid violating the ban, which prohibits the publication of anything that could identify the victim.
The man repeatedly kissed and touched the girl and forced her to touch him sexually. He would also regularly send her sexualized text messages.
The girl said the abuse happened “all the time.” In a victim-impact statement, she said she has attempted suicide and dropped out of school in the years since she was abused.
The man had no previous criminal record.
Crown prosecutor Laura Drake sought a sentence of five to six years, while defence lawyer Paul Janzen suggested something in the range of three years.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Simon Coval on Wednesday sentenced the man to 4.5 years in prison.
“It is particularly important that [his] sentence reflect his high degree of moral blameworthiness for the extent, frequency and duration of his abuse of [the victim] at her young age, and the terrible impact his crimes have inflicted on her,” the judge said.
“His position as a trusted family friend is also significant.”
In addition to the prison time, the man was ordered to submit a sample of his DNA to a national criminal database and register as a sex offender for life.
He will also be barred from being within two kilometres of the victim’s home for the rest of his life, and prohibited from having any contact or communication with anyone under the age of 16 for 10 years, with the exception of his own children.
The man had been free on bail. His 54-month sentence began when he was taken into custody at the conclusion of Wednesday’s hearing.
