Greater Victoria woman sentenced to 5.5 years for luring, sexually assaulting 15-year-old boy
A Greater Victoria woman has been sentenced to five and a half years behind bars for luring and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
Judge Ted Gouge handed down the sentence on Sept. 14 after finding the woman, who is referred to in court documents as "Ms. P.," guilty of two counts of sexual assault and one count of internet luring.
The incidents occurred in April 2020, when Ms. P. and her friend encountered a group of boys from their neighbourhood who asked the women to provide them with alcohol in exchange for some cannabis.
The women agreed and bought alcohol for the boys, who then joined the women for a party. During the party, Ms. P., who was 25 at the time, had sex with one of the boys in her bedroom, according to the judge's decision.
A few days later, Ms. P sent a text message to the 15-year-old boy, inviting him back to her house for a "hot make-out sesh." The boy accepted and went back to her house where the two again had sex, leading to the second count of sexual assault and the charge of internet luring.
The experience left the boy with diminished self-esteem and persistent difficulty finding happiness in the things he used to enjoy, he told the court in a victim impact statement.
"After this happened, I stopped caring about life, and I don’t really try anymore," he said. "I don’t care what foot goes forward – before I cared about school and my grades, lacrosse but this changed my outlook on that. I started overthinking everything… I just sit by myself and think about stupid stuff that I can’t control and I feel stuck in those thoughts."
The judge cited the boy's continued emotional and physical suffering as factors in his sentencing decision.
"It is necessary to reject the stereotype that teenage boys are less vulnerable to the sequelae of sexual assault than are teenage girls," he wrote.
"To impose a lesser sentence on a female offender than that which would be imposed on a male offender for a similar crime would infringe the rights of male offenders," the judge added.
The judge also found Ms. P. attempted to minimize her responsibility for the crimes in her presentencing submissions when she told the court that there is no law to "hold a minor to account for lying about their age."
"The responsibility for preventing sexual activity between adults and youths always lies upon the adult," the judge said.
Ms. P. was sentenced to two years less a day for each of the two counts of sexual assault, plus 18 months for internet luring. The sentences are to be served consecutively.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.