B.C. musician and former pastor sentenced for sexual assault
Warning: This story contains a description of a sexual assault.
A Vancouver Island musician and former church pastor will serve three months of house arrest, followed by 18 months of probation, after he was convicted of one count of sexual assault.
Jason Jonathan Eric Zerbin, 35, was sentenced last week for sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman whom he met while he was a pastor and music director at God's Garden Church in Victoria.
Zerbin was 28 years old at the time of the offence and his role as a salaried pastor at the church had ended, according to a provincial court judge's sentencing decision published Friday.
Judge Ted Gouge found that Zerbin attended a picnic with church members in May 2015 at a beach in Sooke, B.C.
During the course of the evening, Zerbin laid down under a blanket with the young woman and put his hand on her hip, then "down the front of her pants to her pubic area and rubbed her genitals through her underwear," Gouge wrote.
The woman "rolled away from him, and he stopped touching her immediately."
Three months later, Zerbin wrote an email apologizing to the victim and her parents, expressing shame, remorse and "a depth of embarrassment," according to a transcript from the court record.
The judge convicted Zerbin of one count of sexual assault on May 10, 2022.
A victim impact statement provided to the court described the woman's loss of faith and onset of anxiety and depression in the years since the assault.
The Crown prosecutor in the case sought a three-month conditional sentence, followed by a period of probation. Zerbin's defence lawyer argued for a conditional discharge and probation.
Zerbin’s lawyer also sought to exempt him from having to provide a DNA sample and register with the federal sex offender registry, saying his registration would disproportionately affect him by restricting his ability to travel for business.
Zerbin is the proprietor of a music recording business, the judge wrote. The business requires him to travel internationally, especially to the United States, according to his lawyer.
The judge declined the exemption request and ordered Zerbin to comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act for 10 years.
Among the conditions of Zerbin's three-month sentence are that he remain at home between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily, and not possess or consume any intoxicating substances without a medical prescription.
He is also ordered to remain in B.C. unless he obtains permission to leave the province from either the court or his conditional sentence supervisor.
Zerbin is not allowed within 10 metres of the victim. He must leave her presence immediately, without words or gestures, if he encounters her and is not to have any direct or indirect communication with her.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The root cause': Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
'Next man up': Canucks coach, teammates bracing for Game 7 without Brock Boeser
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.