Stephen Mark Castleden admitted to sexually abusing a young girl over the course of five years in a central Nanaimo home. He videoed some of the abuse and shared the footage online. (Submitted photo)

By Ian Holmes

Underage sex offender

Nanaimo man admits to molesting young girl over five years

Jun 18, 2019 | 10:24 AM

NANAIMO — Tensions were high in a Nanaimo courtroom as details of despicable sex crimes by a man against a young girl were revealed.

Stephen Mark Castleden pleaded guilty to four offences, including the sexual assault of a young girl over a five year period while he dated the victim’s mother.

The girl was between the ages of four and nine while the abuse took place in the victim’s central Nanaimo home.

Crown prosecutor Nick Barber said the 50-year-old Castleden took pictures and degrading videos of himself abusing the girl and shared the material online.

“It’s something we don’t have control over once it’s out there on the internet and it will continue to cause harm to this child for her whole life.” _{Nick Barber}

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Barber said the abuse over such an extended period of time was extremely damaging and heightened Castleden’s moral culpability.

“It essentially destroyed this child’s trust of what should have been a safe place,” Barber said.

In addition to sexual assault, Castleden also pleaded guilty to possessing, making and distributing child porn between March 2013 and May 2018.

Castleden had a large porn collection of pictures and videos of other young girls and boys, which were uncovered on various devices he owned.

Barber said Castleden showed limited insight into his behaviour in a pre-sentence report.

The report said Castleden expressed anger and frustration with his inability to have contact with the victim while he was in jail.

Barber said Castleden referenced depression, financial stress and previous sexual abuse he received as reasons for his actions.

“This isn’t a person who’s doing some kind of impulsive act out of stress. He purposefully abused this child for years. It’s not at all congruent with how he’s trying to define himself in this report.”

Castleden indicated in the report he was disappointed with the court system for not treating him more harshly for a 2012 child porn conviction, which could have reversed his future behaviour.

He received 30-days in jail for the offence.

Castleden was on probation and on the National Sex Offender Registry at the time of his latest crimes.

Barber said Castleden claimed the victim was a somewhat willing participant in the degredation, or at the least didn’t scream “no.”

The victim’s mother wasn’t fully tuned in to what was happening to her daughter, he said.

The girl’s grandfather provided a victim impact statement, in which he said his only grandchild was previously positive and affectionate.

He said his granddaughter no longer wants any part of story time, to be tucked in or kissed good night.

“When we closed the door, she would cry herself to sleep. That was the hardest part,” he said as his voiced became choked up with emotion.

The victim’s grandfather said it’s heartbreaking to listen to her cry and not be able to comfort her and take away the pain.

The grandfather called Castleden a monster and voiced frustration on not being able to have more of a stake in the punishment he’ll receive.

The grandfather said the victim’s mother minimized concerns he voiced when Castleden’s prior child porn conviction came to light. He said the mother appeared to be brainwashed by Castleden.

Both of the girl’s parents did not attend the sentencing hearing.

The Nanaimo Mountie who obtained the search warrant and arrested Castelden at his home also testified during Tuesday’s hearing.

Cst. Shane Cobrough acted on a tip from a child exploitation police officer in Australia who discovered child porn images Castelden shared on a Russian website.

Graphic video and images posted by Castelden to the website were shown to Judge R.D. Miller as exhibits.

Castelden was silent in the priosner’s box and looked down while the images and video clips were shown.

Police seized 1,500 images and 681 videos of child porn from Castleden. Two of the videos were of his then-girlfriend’s daughter.

Castelden, who’s a professional trucker, could barely be heard by the court when he apologized.

He said he’s trapped by addiction and is committed to rehabilitating.

Defence lawyer James Wright said Castleden is committed to fixing his pedophilic ideologies and urges.

He said while his client’s actions were horrific, Castleden has taken tangible steps while in jail over the last 13 months to address his thinking and actions.

The Crown is seeking eight to 10 years in prison.

Judge J.D. Miller is slated to issue his punishment next week.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmes