Rose Blanche man going to prison for sex-related offences

A 70-year-old Rose Blanche man has received a jail sentence of seven years, six months and one day for sex offences against two children.

The man, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban in place to protect the identities of the victims, was sentenced in Stephenville provincial court on Feb. 1 for the remaining 15 of 17 sex-related charges he was found guilty of committing.

The case first appeared in Port aux Basques provincial court in April 2007 concerning events the Crown said started in the early 1970s and ended in the early 1990s.

In reading her decision, Judge Jacqueline Jenkins said the man took advantage of his position of trust regarding the victims, calling his actions abhorrent.

The judge said his poor attitude during the trial, lack of compassion for the victims, and lack of remorse were among the factors in making her decision.

Judge Jenkins said the victims were absolutely devastated because of the assaults, with one of them attempting suicide.

She also imposed on the man a 10-year firearm prohibition, a DNA order, and placement on the National Sex Offender Registry for a 20-year period.

He was found guilty on a total of 17 charges in Port aux Basques Provincial Court on June 18, 2009. The charges included 12 counts of sexual assault, four counts of indecent assault and one count of uttering threats to cause death.

He was first sentenced in Stephenville provincial court on Jan. 20 for two of the charges, for which he received a sentence of 30 months incarceration for one charge and time served for another charge.