By Everything GP Staff

Court

5.5 year sentence for former AHS official convicted of sexual assault

Jun 14, 2023 | 6:28 AM

A former Alberta Health Services official has been given a sentence of five-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting a child.

King’s Bench Justice Shania Leonard handed down the sentence on Tuesday, June 13 in Grande Prairie.

The accused, who we are not naming due to a court-ordered publication ban that prohibits the use of any information that could identify the victim, was convicted in February.

The assaults happened when the victim was between the ages of seven and nine (2018-2020) during a series of sleepovers at the accused home. There were five to eight times during sleepovers when assaults took place.

The accused pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of sexual touching during the trial.

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The parents of the victim were friends with the accused and his wife and trusted the accused so much so, that the child referred to him as an uncle and/or grandpa.

Submissions were heard in court on Monday, with three victim impact statements provided by the mother and father of the victim, as well as the victim.

The statements were read in court by Crown Prosecutor Amber Pickrell. The mother’s statement described how the victim showed a change in behavior, as well as signs of depression, anxiety, and stress following the sleepovers at the accused.

The father’s statement blamed himself for meeting the accused and struggled with life and his religion following the series of assaults on his child.

The victim wrote they were sad and confused following the acts by the accused and were told not to tell anyone, as the accused would go to jail if they did. The victim also feared if they told anyone that the accused would come to their home and harm them and their family.

The victim’s statement described that they “felt pain in their heart”, and that their “heart turned black” after being shown pornographic material, and “it didn’t feel right.”

Leonard said 28 letters of reference for the accused stated that he is a; “good man”, “strong in faith”, a “good friend”, and some pledged they would still trust the accused with their children.

Leonard noted she believes there was exploited vulnerability between the accused and the child, as the accused was a person the child trusted and the sexual assaults were carried out in the accused home.

She also noted the acts carried out by the accused have caused “serious emotional and psychological harm” for the victim and their family, and the gravity of the acts was greater due to the position of trust that the accused had.

On top of the five-and-a-half year sentence, which is to be served at the Bowden Institution; the accused also has to register as a sex offender, provide a DNA sample to be in the National DNA Data Bank, not go within two kilometers of the victim’s school and victim’s family home, and not communicate with the victim or victim’s family during the custodial period.

Leonard noted the collateral consequences following the accused’s conviction; being suspended by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA), and the media attention of the trial as they held a position of authority in two provinces, and the loss of their job.

Leonard said the likelihood to re-offend is low, but not zero, as the accused has a second trial for similar charges involving two other children set for August 23, 2023.

_{*The accused was convicted on charges of sexual assault and sexual interference on February 7 in Grande Prairie court. A legal principle that says an accused cannot be convicted of both offences means the sexual interference charge was stayed.}

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