Man jailed for sexually assaulting unconscious teen at Qualicum resort

Hamilton rejected several assertions the defence claimed were mitigating factors, including an ADHD diagnosis and his history of drug and alcohol abuse, saying there was no evidence those claims factored into his offending.

“Mr. Blanchard, you committed a serious sexual assault. You violated (victim) in a highly intrusive way. She was lying there unconscious, but instead of helping her, you violated her, and she was only 16 years old. She was young. And since that night, her life has been impacted and continues to be impacted by what you did.”

The age of consent for sexual activity in Canada is 16.

Incident
On August 15, 2020, Blanchard was living at Riverside Resort in Qualicum Beach, where he also worked as a supervisor.

The victim was staying at the resort with her vacationing family, and met Blanchard and his male friend at the pool where they exchanged phone numbers.

The following night, the victim and a female friend consumed alcohol before heading to an on-site park, where they were joined by Blanchard and his friend, with Blanchard bringing a bottle of Malibu rum which he supplied to the victim.

Described as being so intoxicated she could no longer participate in the conversation, she decided to leave the group and passed out face-down in a tunnel structure in the playground.

That’s when Blanchard approached her.

“Mr. Blanchard went over to (victim), grabbed her waist, and touched her thighs and crotch while (victim) was unconscious,” said Hamilton. “Mr. Blanchard called (victim) a whore, and commented that (victim)’s body position invited sexual intercourse.”

The victim’s friend witnessed the initial assault and said the unconscious girl was not asking for sex, but was led away by Blanchard’s friend to another location.

The victim woke up to “excruciating pain while being penetrated in her anus” by Blanchard, according to Crown counsel’s Joanna Simpson, quoting from the victim’s testimony during the trial in January.

She testified that’s when she screamed out and told him to stop before passing out again, saying she “assumed he probably got out of me when I passed out.”

The victim, who was about to start grade 12, said she was unable to speak about the incident until almost three years later, reporting the assault in January 2023.

She now suffers from PTSD and depression, dropped out of school, has difficulty sleeping, is short-tempered, feels immense shame and sadness, and no longer feels comfortable in her own body.

Her victim impact statement, read aloud in court, detailed how the assault affected every part of her life.

“…I feel that when he penetrated me, I was split in two, and I’m only half of the person I could have been at this stage in my life…it’s hard to get through a day without crying.”

“He did not express any remorse in his PSR (pre-sentence report), nor his psych assessment and in fact refused to discuss the offence. Again, he is not required to in any way, but the court can’t consider then, remorse as mitigating (factor),” Simpson argued during recent sentencing submissions.

Mackenzie Blanchard leaving the Nanaimo courthouse on April 30, 2025. At the time, his then lawyer said Blanchard was in a “state of depressive paralysis” and “fraught with anxiety and depression” over the prospect of being sent to jail. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Defence and history
Blanchard had no criminal history before this offence, but was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm and given two years’ probation and a five-year firearms ban from a separate incident in Qualicum Beach in May of 2024, while on probation awaiting trial for the sexual assault charge.

He worked at Riverside Resort from 2016 until the end of 2024.

Blanchard has been unemployed ever since.

His mother, stepfather and teenage sister were all present in court during sentencing arguments, and each provided a letter of support, describing him as a “kind young man, always helping others.”

Besides an ADHD diagnosis as a teen, Blanchard wasn’t listed as having any significant mental health barriers.

Court heard how he began drinking alcohol in high school, smoking cannabis and using other opioids, saying he relied on alcohol and substance abuse to deal with “life-stressors.”

Defence attorney at Monday’s sentencing hearing Dina Diab said Blanchard has been voluntarily attending alcohol recovery meetings since January, is living back with his parents and sister and expressed a willingness to attend any court-mandated drug, alcohol, or mental health counselling sessions.

“(He) recognizes that he’s made very poor decisions while intoxicated, and it has effectively, I’m told, ruined his life.”

Diab said a shorter jail term followed by a lengthy period of probation would better assist in his rehabilitation.

“He’s never been to jail before. It comes at a time in his life where it’s devastating to his development, growth, and future prospects. I submit, an expeditious exit from custody will only assist the other principles of rehabilitation and to prevent recidivism. We don’t want him to come out and not have a future justice, he’s a hard-working young man.”

Blanchard addressed the court for the first time during sentencing arguments on Sept. 25, as he did not testify during the trial.

He apologized to the victim, her family, and his family for all the pain and hurt that he’s caused, calling himself a “kind and loving person.”

“No words can begin to describe how awful I feel,” Blanchard told court. “During that period of my life, I was regularly using opioids and drinking. My life was a blur. I was not in a good place. I am deeply sorry for the pain that I’ve caused…I wish I could turn back time. I wish that I had made these changes sooner and spared us all the hurt. I hope to use the time to continue on my path to sobriety and growth, and I hope for healing for everyone and leniency for myself.”

Once released, Blanchard will be on the police-accessible sex offender register for 20 years, must submit a DNA sample, have no contact with the victim, and must comply with a court-mandated 10-year weapons ban.

The Crown wanted three-and-a-half to four years behind bars, while the defence asked for 24-28 months in jail with one year’s probation.

Sentencing for this case was originally scheduled for April, but was delayed when Blanchard agreed to undergo a pre-sentencing report and a forensic psychiatric assessment, after previously not wanting those reports completed.

Follow us on Facebook. Join Everything Nanaimo on Facebook and stay connected with everything happening on central Vancouver Island.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

by Jordan Davidson

Man jailed for sexually assaulting unconscious teen at Qualicum resort

More Local News