CONTENT WARNING: The following story contains descriptions of sexual assaults against children, which may be triggering to some readers.
A resident of a North Slave community who molested three young girls over several decades has been found guilty after trial of three counts each of sexual assault and sexually touching a person under the age of 16.
The man, who cannot be named as it could identify the victims, fondled over clothing and ‘dry-humped’ the girls during family gatherings, luring them away from adults under the pretense of playing tag or hide and go seek, Yellowknife Supreme Court heard this week.
Shannon Smallwood is the NWT’s chief justice, who presided over the judge-alone trial.
“The complainants were all under the age of 16 and could not – and did not – consent to the touching,” she stated in finding the man guilty on all counts on Tuesday afternoon.
“The accused would pretend to play with the kids … when adults were busy doing other things, the accused would lead (the child) away into another room and touch her.”
The crimes started in 1997 against a four-year old, continued through 2006 with a five-year old, and ended in 2015, with a three-year old. Two of the women are now adults, while the latter is still a teenager.
“(One victim) never told anyone about these incidents until she was 18, after she had a conversation with her mother,” stated the judge in reading her decision.
That conversation in around 2011 brought up a memory for the mom, where she had been laying on a bed when a younger daughter jumped on her back and started rubbing her crotch on her.
“Where did you learn that?” the mother testified she asked at the time, with the response being the accused man.
The mother testified she immediately went and confronted the accused, who denied the allegations.
The man, now roughly 60-years old, said he had only “swatted her bum” once as she repeatedly ran into a room he was painting.
In fact, while testifying in his own defense with the help of a Tłı̨chǫ interpeter, the accused denied he had ever been alone with any of the complainants.
“(The mother’s) evidence about this confrontation was compelling,” said the judge.
“She testified about the incident … and (her) evidence was detailed and clear about this confrontation. Her upset and anger about this incident, even some 12 years later, was palpable.
“The mother, who was clearly shocked and upset about what she thought had occurred to her daughter, and that she would take steps to confront the alleged perpetrator, is consistent with the level of emotion that she displayed (on the stand).”
The accused, roughly 60 years old, will be allowed to remain on bail, with several conditions including a nightly curfew.
A pre-sentence report was ordered, pushing the sentencing date back to late in the fall.
IF YOUR REQUIRE HELP: In the NWT, 811 Helpline responders are registered nurses who can also assist you with concerns related to mental wellness and addictions recovery. They are trained in a variety of areas, including abuse, sexual assault, depression, grief, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse. Call 811 or 1-844-259-1793.
