Cory John Lloyd (right) reacts to being confronted by the man he's been talking to online for months through late 2018 and 2019. The man had been posing as a 14-year-old boy. (Justin Payne/YouTube)

By Ian Holmes

sex offender

Man caught in high-profile Nanaimo child luring sting avoids jail

Jul 27, 2022 | 6:25 PM

NANAIMO — A man busted for trying to meet up with a 14-year-old boy who turned out to be a well known vigilante pedophile hunter escaped going to jail.

A sentencing hearing for Cory John Lloyd, 42, was in response to a disturbing series of phone and Skype conversations published on YouTube which occurred between Oct. 25, 2018 and Jan. 20, 2019.

Late on Wednesday, July 27 Lloyd received an 18 month conditional sentence order followed by 18 months probation in provincial court in Nanaimo.

The case came more than three years after Lloyd walked away visibly shocked and disappointed when vigilante hunter Justin Payne confronted the offender outside Woodgrove Centre on January 20, 2019.

Cory Lloyd stands outside the Nanaimo courthouse on Wednesday, July 27 during a break in his sentencing hearing. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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Lloyd pleaded guilty last fall to attempting to arrange for a sexual offence against a child.

The video viewed more than 184,000 times includes graphic propositions by Lloyd explaining various sexual acts he planned to do with the boy.

The Crown’s Leanne Mascolo requested a six month jail sentence followed by 18 months probation.

“Mr. Lloyd’s moral culpability may be slightly less than someone who lures an actual child, but it does not bring it to the level of a rare case that the court should consider a conditional sentence order,” Mascolo said.

She noted sexual exploitation of children leads to numerous harmful impacts on the victim and society and that the actions of offenders like Lloyd need to be strongly denounced.

Mascolo emphasized case law sets out that offenders should only avoid jail for this type of offence in unique circumstances.

She cited a psychologist’s report in noting Lloyd is a low to moderate risk to re-offend.

Notably the psychologist believed Lloyd could be managed properly by not going to jail.

Defence lawyer Babak Zargarian requested an 18 to 24 month non-custodial sentence followed by two years probation.

He said the fake online dating profile established by Payne purported to be of an 18-year-old male.

“The action was not set out of a predatory intent of seeking out children…It was an opportunistic lack of judgment as opposed to predatory behaviour,” Zargarian argued.

Zargarian said Lloyd admitted to his offence and expressed insight into his offending through productive ongoing counselling sessions with a psychologist.

“He understands the jeopardy and the wrongness of his conduct, that he understands he made a very serious mistake and that he has gained insight into his conduct.”

Zargarian expanded on his client’s importance to a woman in failing health who Lloyd constantly cares for.

Zargarian told court the woman offered Lloyd a place to stay when he was homeless in 2007 and he returned the favour.

The pair and Lloyd’s husband live together in an RV unit in Parksville.

Lloyd works seven days a week as an overnight cleaning professional and is essential to providing for his husband and friend, court was told.

Lloyd had an abusive childhood and has no diagnosed mental health issues, his lawyer stated.

In handing down the sentence, judge Brian Harvey stated while a jail sentence is an appropriate option for this type of offence, it wasn’t a fit punishment in this situation.

“It is far better in my view to have this accused be an active, ongoing member of society (and) maintain his employment,’ judge Harvey said.

Lloyd’s 18 month sentence features nine months of house arrest, followed by nine months of curfew which court was told can be structured to allow Lloyd to continue working.

Numerous restrictions against sex offenders apply for the conditional sentence order and probationary period, including continued counselling.

Lloyd will appear on the National Sex Offender Registry for 20 years and was ordered to provide a DNA sample.

Lloyd, dressed in a Superman shirt and dark pants, was visibly relieved when he learned he wasn’t going to jail.

He declined to comment in court and to NanaimoNewsNOW.

Lloyd had a dated unrelated criminal record in Halifax, Nova Scotia and had no breaches while released during the past three-and-a-half years.

Payne made the trip to Nanaimo from Ontario for the sentencing hearing, which included attempts to confront Lloyd.

Publication ban application shot down

Midway through the sentencing hearing Lloyd’s lawyer applied to have a publication ban in place to prevent Lloyd’s name from being associated to the sentencing hearing and his prior guilty plea.

Once media coverage came to light about Lloyd pleading guilty to a child luring offence last October he was fired from his job as a cook and can no longer find work in the restaurant industry, Zargarian said.

“Mr. Lloyd has suffered a significant and irreparable harm to his employment due to publicity arising from these proceedings and that further harm may arise to his employment if further information is distributed from these proceedings.”

Leanne Mascolo predictably objected to the request, telling court the public has a right to know how our judicial system functions, particularly in these types of cases.

“As unfortunate as it is for Mr. Lloyd who is doing his best to maintain his employment and continue in the community the reality is he committed this offence and has pleaded guilty to this offence…”

Judge Harvey swiftly rejected the publication ban request.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes