Former Canadian navy officer fined $7K for assault, sexual assault aboard navy sailboat
A retired Canadian navy member has been reprimanded and ordered to pay a fine of $7,000 after repeatedly assaulting and sexually assaulting a young female cadet aboard a navy sailboat in the summer of 2006.
Retired petty officer first class James R. Levesque, 59, was found guilty last May of assault, sexual assault and uttering threats while on a summer sailing of HMCS Oriole, a century-old tall ship the navy uses for training and public outreach excursions.
The victim, who cannot be identified under a court-imposed publication ban, testified at trial that Levesque, then a senior non-commissioned officer, repeatedly groped and physically assaulted her, leaving bruises on her arms, during the ship's journey from southern Vancouver Island to Alaska.
The victim, who was 20 years old and a military college student at the time of the offences, testified that Levesque also threatened to have sex with her and leave further bruising on her body, despite her protests.
The ordeal left the victim with a fear of sailing and significantly altered her career in the navy, she said.
Levesque denied the charges at trial, pleading not guilty to all three offences.
In her sentencing decision Thursday, military judge Cmdr. Sandra Sukstorf said the power imbalance between the victim and Levesque – who was then one of HMCS Oriole's seniormost non-commissioned officers – was one of several aggravating factors she considered in the case.
The judge also told the court that the repetitive and forceful nature of the attacks and their longstanding effects on the victim merited special consideration and denunciation.
However, the judge noted that Levesque, who served in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1983 until his retirement in 2017, has no prior criminal record and is considered a low risk to reoffend.
Levesque will not be required to register as a sex offender, per the judge's decision.
The military prosecutor had asked the court for a minimum sentence of six months imprisonment, while the defence argued the circumstances warranted a reprimand and a fine in the amount of $4,000 to $6,000.
The victim testified at trial that the physical and sexual attacks made her feel "scared and really worthless," and told the court that another senior officer had discouraged her from reporting the incidents to police that summer.
The military court was shown more than 100 photos taken aboard the Oriole in July 2006, many of them depicting an atmosphere of alcohol-fuelled revelry among the ship's predominantly male, 24-person crew.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.