By Ian Holmes

Senior jailed for sex offences against granddaugther on north island

Apr 18, 2019 | 4:46 PM

NANAIMO — A retired Comox Valley realtor was sentenced to three years in jail for admitting to sexually abusing his developmentally challenged granddaughter.

The offender’s name is withheld due to a publication ban to ensure the victim’s identity is not revealed.

The man in his 70’s pleaded guilty to sexual interference of a person under 16. He was sentenced Thursday in BC Supreme Court in Nanaimo by Justice Palbinder Shergill.

In reading her decision, Justice Shergill said the deplorable abuse began in the summer of 2016 when the victim was nine-years-old.

The incidents lasted bi-weekly for a year-and-a-half.

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The offender touched the victim’s vagina and made her touch his penis despite the victim telling him numerous times to stop.

The offences happened in Courtenay and Cortes Island, while the final incident took place during a family vacation.

Court was told the offender’s wife of 50-years caught him with an erect penis in bed with the victim at their hotel room in Mexico.

Justice Shergill said the profoundly impacted special needs victim is now highly anxious of people in her personal space, suffering nightmares and outbursts.

“The offence was an egregious breach of trust and one that will leave a permanent and lasting mark…there are no words to describe the horror that this child has gone through and will continue to go through.”

Justice Shergill said the offender showed a perplexing lack of remorse while using psychological and manipulative coercion to his advantage. A pre-sentence report indicated the offender took limited responsibility for his actions.

“He consistently blames her for being the initiator of sexual touching. That is an unconscionable burden to place on a young child,” Shergill said.

The frequency and duration of the abuse was also significant, which Justice Shergill said were aggravating factors.

She noted the offender survived terminal brain cancer in 2012 but was forgetful and prone to putting himself in dangerous situations with little acknowledgment after the health care.

He’s not considered to have mental health concerns.

Various expert assessments determined he’s in the low to moderate risk range of re-offending. The offender voluntarily attended nearly 40 therapy sessions at a renowned sex offender program on the north island.

He had no prior criminal record.

The guilty senior will have to comply with numerous restrictive conditions for a decade after his release and his name will be added to the National Sex Offender Registry.

His sentence will be served at a federal penitentiary to be determined by BC Corrections.

Charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation were stayed by the Crown.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes