Granted bail

Convicted sexual predator sentenced to nine years in prison but released hours later pending appeal

For the girls at the centre of a foster home abuse scandal, the horror continues to grind on. Even as the 71-year-old man convicted of sexually abusing them, in the most horrifying of ways, was hearing his sentence, his wife and son were in another courtroom persuading a judge that he should be released on bail pending an appeal hearing—a hearing that may not take place for several months.

Meanwhile, the harm done by the County Children’s Aid Society in placing vulnerable children in the man’s care— when they knew there—were serious allegations made of his sexual abuse of girls—is amplified each day he spends at home in this community, and not behind bars.

SENTENCE IMPOSED
On Friday, Justice Jennifer Blishen sentenced the 71 year old to nine years in a penitentiary (three years for crimes against one girl and a six-year sentence against a second victim). The sexual predator cannot be named to protect the identity of his victims.

Justice Blishen described the convicted offender as lacking any remorse or insight into the harm he has caused the young girls who were aged nine and 10 when they were sent to live with the foster parent.

“These were the most vulnerable of victims,” said Justice Blishen. “Especially vulnerable because they had been removed from their homes by the CAS. “There was not a modicum of empathy. He compelled his victims to testify twice.”

PAINFUL DETAIL
Justice Blishen recounted the abuse suffered by the children in disturbing detail.

She described how in May 2004 two sisters were sent to live in the home of the man who would be later convicted of abusing kids in his care. He and his wife had been accepted as foster parents a year earlier.

Almost immediately the abuse began with “accidental” touching, which soon progressed to more troubling forms of sexual behaviour according to the then—9 year old.

“She testified she didn’t like to do it,” recounted Justice Blishen, “but the young girl testified ‘what else was I supposed to do?’”

She left the home in June.

In February of the next year her sister, who remained in the home, made a complaint against the foster parent. Police investigated the accusations. Both sisters made videotaped statements to police about what had happened to them.

The accused said the children were lying, claiming he was not capable of performing the acts that were alleged to have occurred. Worried they couldn’t achieve a guilty verdict—and that they might put the children through additional trauma of a trial with an uncertain outcome—the Crown decided against pressing charges against the foster parent.

The County CAS had removed all kids from the accused’s care while the investigation was ongoing in 2005.

IGNORING THE WARNING SIGNS
Inexplicably, however, the CAS placed a 10-yearold girl in the home a few months later—despite the initial allegations of sexual abuse.

More children would follow. All told about a dozen children were placed in the home after the allegations of sex abuse had been levelled against the foster parent and the home barred from caring for foster kids for several weeks.

The girl had already been victimized—sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. The CAS has never explained why it decided to place this child or other children in the home of a man accused of sexual impropriety.

The girl would live in the home for the next five years.

A similar pattern emerged. “Accidental” sexual touching progressed to “frequent and ongoing” abuse over the next five years. It only ended after a fight with her foster mother led to her removal from the home in 2010.

Later that year the girl’s evidence led to charges against the man. He was eventually charged with nine counts of sexual abuse against three victims.

“She thought this was normal,” said Justice Blishen, recounting the girl’s victim impact statement. “She enjoyed the feeling of being wanted.”

The court heard that the foster parent lavished gifts, trips and cruises upon the young girl over the five years. “My nightmares are of him,” the girl explained during her statement. “He has a part of me I can’t get back.”

In June a jury found him guilty on six charges for crimes against two of the girls.

Just before she read out her sentence, Justice Blishen recounted the basic facts.

“He was a foster parent entrusted by the Prince Edward County Children’s Aid Society. Two little girls were placed in his home. Behind the scenes he systematically abused these girls. This was an egregious breach of trust by a sexual predator. He has demonstrated complete lack of insight into the harm he has caused these young girls. They have been devastated.”

After the sentence was read, the 71-year-old offender was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs to begin serving his sentence. Some observers sobbed for the victims.

Meanwhile, family members of the “manipulative” predator were seeking bail on his behalf. The man spent just a few hours behind bars.