Sexual Assault Trial in Canada > Toronto City Councillor on Trial

 

Michael Thompson sex assault decision won’t come until September

After beginning in Bracebridge, Ont., last fall, the sex assault trial of Coun. Michaael Thompson shifted to another courthouse on Monday, and while it’s nearing its end, the conclusion is still months away and will happen in yet another municipality.

The Scarborough Centre city councillor was charged with two counts of sexual assault in 2022, following accusations from two woman after a Muskoka cottage weekend. Thompson has maintained his innocence and denied several of the allegations testifying in his own defence.

The trial has been drawn out over several months over scheduling issues faced by the judge, the Crown, and the defence. After shifting to Barrie in the spring, it continued on Monday in Bradford where closing submissions were heard.

Thompson’s lawyer, Leora Shemesh, accused all three witnesses who testified on behalf of the Crown as lacking in credibility. They were accused of crafting a fraudulent tale and their attempts to besmirch her client’s reputation were nothing more than a witch hunt, Shemesh said.

All three of the women were guests of Thompson’s and are protected by a publication ban preventing their identity. Two of the women are complainants in the trial, one alleging Thompson fondled her breasts and buttocks under her bathing suit while applying sunscreen. Another woman told the court Thompson forced oral sex on her and ejaculated on her.

Thompson has denied both of these accounts and said he only applied sunscreen to one of the complainants when he was asked to, while denying the allegation of improper touching. The councillor also said he engaged in a consensual sex act with the other woman, offering a counter-narrative that she had woken him up and performed oral sex on him.

• Man opens fire outside Michigan church, is shot and killed by security staff
• Convicted killer, 62, recaptured after escape from Quebec prison
• Montreal mom charged with abandoning daughter ‘needs help,’ to remain detained
• Man arrested, accused of attempting to kidnap Memphis, Tenn. mayor

On Monday, Shemesh said the witness alleging her client had forced himself on her was not credible, urging Judge Philop Brissette to disregard her evidence. Shemesh said while there were different narratives offered, she said Crown Attorney Marieke Newhouse failed to meet the bar of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Newhouse countered during her own closing arguments that it was Thompson who was presenting a false narrative about the events of the long weekend. The Crown argued that the councillor had been plying the women with alcohol and marijuana throughout the weekend, accusing Thompson of lying when he testified that none of the guests were intoxicated throughout the weekend.

The Crown also accused Thompson of repeatedly offering unsolicited stories of being charitable, not in an attempt to clear his name, but as a performative attempt to appear as a benevolent civic leader for an audience outside the courtroom. Newhouse also said Thompson’s assertion that the sex acts were consensual were fictitious and that he forced himself on one of the complainants when she had repeatedly said “no.”

At the end of the day Justice Brissette told both lawyers that he is considering several verdicts to ongoing trials and would not be able to render a decision until September. At that news, Thompson could audibly be heard sighing heavily, before both lawyers agreed to hear a decision on Sept. 16 in Midland.

Outside the courthouse, the councillor ignored reporters’ questions, but his lawyer Shemesh said she is content with how the trial had progressed.

“I think it went how it should,” Shemesh said “I’m very happy with how things have gone and now it’s in the judge’s hands.”

Perverted Lives of the Rich and Famous > Toronto - Another Mayor bites the dust; Rugby Player in Sex Video Scandal

..

In the 21st century, few cities in the world have had as colourful Mayors as Toronto, Canada's largest city. Two of the 4 mayors were Mel Lastman and Rob Ford. Few would elevate John Tory into this level of craziness, but it seems he has given it a shot.

Toronto Mayor John Tory resigns one hour after newspaper

exposes affair with staffer

By Katherine Donlevy

February 10, 2023 11:59pm  Updated

A Canadian mayor abruptly left his post Friday just one hour after a local newspaper exposed his affair with a staffer more than half his age.

Toronto Mayor John Tory, 68, admitted to having a relationship with a 31-year-old advisor and said he was stepping down so he could “take the time to reflect on my mistakes.”

“I recognize that permitting this relationship to develop was a serious error in judgment on my part,” Tory said at a brief press conference.

“I think it is important as I always had for the office of the mayor not to be in any way tarnished, and not to see the city government itself, but through a period of prolonged controversy, arising out of this error of judgment on my part, especially in light of some of the challenges facing the city.”

Tory’s announcement came one hour after The Star broke the news that the mayor developed a relationship with an employee during the pandemic.

The woman’s name was not revealed, but sources told the outlet she is a 31-year-old woman who was an advisor in Tory’s office.

Tory claimed the relationship developed during a time he and his wife of more than 40 years, Barbara, were spending “many lengthy periods apart.”

The former mayor said the staffer terminated her City Hall employment during their affair, but that the relationship ended “by mutual consent earlier this year.”

He said he would work with city employees and Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvey to ensure an orderly transition to a new administration.

“I deeply regret having to step away from a job that I love in a city that I love even more. I believe, in my heart, it is best to fully commit myself to the work that is required to repair these most important (family) relationships as well,” Tory said.

RUGBY SEX PROBE Castleford launch investigation after

Joe Westerman caught in Twitter sex video scandal

Gary Carter, Joshua Jones

Published: 12:28, 13 Feb 2023, Updated: 13:13, 13 Feb 2023

CASTLEFORD have launched an investigation after star player Joe Westerman was caught in a Twitter sex video storm.

Footage showing a man believed to be the loose forward performing a sex act on a woman down an alleyway in the open air at night was circulated on social media on Sunday.

The video is already the talk of the rugby league world.

Now the 33-year-old faces a probe by his club after the Tigers confirmed their inquiry.

They said: “Castleford Tigers are aware of a video involving a player that circulated on social media. “This issue is currently being dealt with internally and the club will make no further comment at this time.”

Westerman’s wife, Lauren, went online to say the female involved was not her.

A Twitter account in her name clarified: "Can I make this VERY clear that this is NOT me!!!!!!"

She added in another post: "And we have three children one of whom is almost 15 and she doesn’t need to see things like this all over social media!"

What a disgraceful father. The poor girl has probably already seen it and been traumatized by it. Pray for her and her mom and siblings.

How stupid can some people be? Maybe giants shouldn't be running around smashing their heads together. Just my humble opinion!

The controversy comes just days before the 2023 Super League, which kicks off on Thursday.

This Week's Global Pervs and Paedos List > Toronto's Prolific, Disturbing Perverts; IJM Helps Rescue 20 Kids in Manila; Gang-Rape Becoming Epidemic in So. Africa

..

Toronto couple enter guilty pleas in ‘prolific and disturbing'

child sex abuse case

Martin Wettlaufer, 39, and Kathleen Wardlaw, 43, have pleaded not guilty

to dozens of related charges

By Betsy Powell, Courts Reporter

Thu., Oct. 6, 2022, The Toronto Star

A Toronto man and woman pleaded guilty to a combined 18 criminal charges Thursday linked to the sexual and physical abuse of several victims, including children.

Martin Wettlaufer, 39, and Kathleen Wardlaw, 43 — a one-time couple — meanwhile entered not-guilty pleas to dozens of other related charges, including other alleged victims.

Another sick couple where the woman is older than the man. It seems to happen quite often.

After their initial arrest in 2020, police alleged the pair committed multiple sexual and physical assaults against men, women and children in the Danforth Avenue and Dawes Road area as well as near Danforth Road and Eglinton Avenue East.

Police in February described the case as “the most prolific and disturbing case of child sexual abuse and exploitation in our service’s history.”

On Thursday, Wettlaufer pleaded guilty to 16 offences, including for making child pornography, voyeurism, assault and sexual assault related to nine victims while Wardlaw, 43, pleaded guilty to assault and forcible confinement linked to a tenth victim.

The court clerk took almost 45 minutes to arraign the pair on 80 offences at Old City Hall, where their trial on the remaining counts is now underway.

Police in February said the case involved at least 41 alleged victims.

The two defendants were escorted separately into court handcuffed and wearing ankle shackles. Earlier Thursday, Wettlaufer had refused to leave jail and come to court and was warned by Justice Malcolm McLeod not to let that happen again. Neither defendant appeared to acknowledge the other in court; Wardlaw shook her head when Wettlaufer admitted to surreptitiously filming himself having sex with various women and teenage girls.

Mihael Cole and Nathan Kruger, of the downtown crown attorney’s child abuse and exploitation team, read two agreed statements of fact detailing the couple’s history and what they admit transpired after moving in together in 2015.

The identities of the victims are protected by a publication ban.

Police began their investigation in January 2020 after one of the victims, then 15, told police Wettlaufer had assaulted him beginning when he was 11 years old. The boy also told police the incidents may have been digitally recorded by surveillance equipment installed by Wettlaufer.

On Thursday, Wettlaufer pleaded not guilty to that alleged assault.

During their investigation, police recovered hidden camera footage from the bathroom at two residences, capturing numerous individuals, including children, in various states of undress using the shower and toilet, according to the statement of facts agreed to by Wettlaufer.

After Wettlaufer’s initial arrest, he was released on bail in February 2021 under conditions that prohibited him from possessing or operating any device capable of making a photograph, video or audio recording. After his release, women began reporting to police seeing footage of themselves posted online without their knowledge or consent.

Police broadened their investigation and discovered 62 devices in Wettlaufer’s home including cameras, memory cards, thumb drives and numerous cell phones.

The trial continues.

Why was he released on bail? Sex abusers and child sex abusers should never qualify for bail unless there is very serious doubt about their case. But then, that's Canada's criminal-friendly, victim-abusive, court system.

20 Children Rescued from Sexploitation in Manila last month

International Justice Mission

Asia Pacific

Praise God that 20 children were rescued in the month of September from online sexual exploitation by IJM Manila in partnership with local law enforcement. 

Please pray for these children as they enter into a season of healing and restoration, but also change and difficulty. Pray that they will have the opportunity to process their trauma, find community, and thrive in their life of freedom.

We should also be praying against the evil spirits that will attempt to use the children's memories to create attitudes of fear, shame, and anger.

Woman, 34, dies after being raped by three men and set on fire in South Africa amid plague of brutal sexual violence

Imogen Braddick

Updated: 17:41, 10 Oct 2022

A WOMAN has died after being brutally raped by three men and set on fire in South Africa.

The 34-year-old was dragged to a park in Roodepan, Kimberley and attacked shortly after 8pm on Friday.

The woman was attacked in Roodepan, Kimberley shortly after 8pm on FridayCredit: Google

She was raped in Lethabo Park before being doused with paraffin and set alight, SABC News reports.

The woman was found by horrified neighbours in front of a shack and rushed to hospital with severe burns. She died in hospital on Sunday, police said.

Cops are still reportedly hunting for the three suspects.

Thabo Mothibi, spokesperson for the African National Congress in the Northern Cape, said: "As investigations by the police continue, information received points to a possible hate crime motive."

Women living in the area of the Northern Cape said they are living in fear after the attack amid a plague of brutal sexual violence.

One local told SABC News: "We don’t have much here but that something could happen to a woman like that, it’s very sad. It’s heartbreaking to think it could happen to my daughter."

Another said: "It’s heartbreaking to come out and see what happened but it was terrifying. It was emotionally and mentally disturbing to me."

8 models raped by 17 men

The horror attack comes just weeks after eight models were gang raped in South Africa while filming a music video after 17 men in balaclavas suddenly appeared on set firing shots in the air.

The group had been recording a gospel music video when they were set upon at an abandoned mine in Gauteng Province.

The victims tried running away but were stopped by a volley of shots fired into the air.

They were then forced to lay down as a group of men who were wearing balaclavas approached.

The gang took their mobile phones, jewellery, bags, cash and filming equipment before taking one model at a time to an undergrowth and raping them 10 times each.

The victims were raped 32 times in total before South African police arrived.

Cops entered into a gunfight which killed two miners and injured another, according to the Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.

Following the shoot-out, 65 "illegal" miners were arrested.

Both gang-rape sites are withing 300 kms of Lesotho - the small country completely within South Africa. Lesotho has the worst incidence of rape in the world - the only country worse than Sweden.

Pretoria is in Gauteng Province, Roodeban is just north of Kimberley

Luring of Girls into Sex Trade Reaching 'Epidemic' Level, Police Say

May 10 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day

In 5 years, police have seen 1,100 cases, 

assisted nearly 300 victims in Toronto

Talia Ricci · CBC News 

Rhonelle Bruder ran away from home as a teenager after enduring years of bullying.

She was quickly lured into work by human traffickers. (Talia Ricci/CBC)

It was an incident at a party that was the last straw for Rhonelle Bruder.

At 17, she saw the man who had been trafficking her physically assault another young woman in front of multiple people.

"I realized even if he was to do this to me, if he was to kill me in this very moment, no one would do anything, no one would flinch," said Bruder, who now heads a program that assists vulnerable youth.

"To me that was a point when I realized, 'I have to get out of here because my life is in danger.'"

Bruder made that decision 20 years ago. But for police and activists at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, it's a problem that continues to grow. 

And for many victims like Bruder, their stories begin at home.

A couple of years before that party, Bruder was living in London, Ont., with her older sister and adoptive parents. She says growing up she experienced a lot of bullying, which put her in a dark place.

I felt I met somebody that wanted to protect me.

— Rhonelle Bruder 

"I never really felt like I belonged there, it never felt like home," Bruder said. At a point where she felt like she couldn't take it anymore, she ran away.

"I thought that I could kind of run away from my problems, start fresh somewhere new. I ended up in downtown Toronto."

Bruder stayed with friends and then found transitional housing. But she was in a vulnerable position — and that's when she was approached by a woman who said she could find her work, and help her save for a condo.

That woman eventually led Bruder to the man who would be her trafficker.

"I didn't know the language of human trafficking at that age, but I felt I met somebody that wanted to protect me," she said.

"So when the topic came up of working in the sex industry — dancing, working in strip clubs — it was an opportunity for me to save money, have all the nice things you want in life. I was a kid so I was like, 'Okay, this is what I have to do.'"

The now 36-year-old says she realized almost immediately she didn't want to be involved in that work but felt trapped, unsafe and almost as if she was indebted to the woman who recruited her.

"I felt like to leave would be to betray them."

Bruder never saw the money she was promised. She said she was given just enough to survive. After witnessing the assault at the party, she contacted people she'd met before she was trafficked and planned her escape.

"I basically disappeared," she recalled.

Bruder calls herself lucky for having the support she did. At the time she left, she was completely disconnected from her family.

Victims as young as 12

The Toronto Police Service established the Human Trafficking Enforcement Team back in 2014. Today, there are 18 investigators in the group.

Det. Sgt. Nunzio Tramontozzi says the number of offences and occurrences since the team's launch has increased dramatically.

Det. Sgt. Nunzio Tramontozzi says the 'grooming process' of luring young women into the sex trade can happen in as little as 48 hours.

"It's really at an epidemic proportion now in Toronto, and really throughout the GTA and across Canada," Tramontozzi said.

"We have victims as young as 12 years old being forced into the sex trade ... even with the number of investigators I have right now, we're not keeping up."

Last year, the team investigated 280 cases and arrested around 55 people for trafficking women and girls into the sex trade. Since the team was formed, police say they have investigated more than 1,100 cases and assisted close to 300 victims.

Tramontozzi says there is no set demographic of victims or suspects.

"Victims come from all walks of life — they do come from marginalized communities, but also from families that have influence in the community."

Tramontozzi has seen cases where traffickers lure girls through social media apps like SnapChat and Instagram, but also in person at places like malls, group homes and even Canada's Wonderland.

"The one thing they do have in common is they are master manipulators," he said.

Police say they're still seeing a trend toward females doing the recruiting, as in Bruder's case, "especially in middle schools and high schools."

Education is key

Advocacy groups in Toronto have declared May 10 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Ena Cord, the chair of the Human Trafficking Committee with the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, Toronto, has organized a panel discussion to heighten awareness on the issue.

"The response has really been quite amazing," Cord said, noting that attendance has increased dramatically from the first time they put on this event three years ago. 

Ena Cord, the chair of the Human Trafficking Committee with the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, Toronto, has organized a panel discussion to heighten awareness on the issue. (Doug Husby/CBC)

Friday's event is at the North York Civic Centre and begins at 11 a.m. ET. It's free and open to the public. Cord says the more people know that this is happening in their backyards, the more that can be done to prevent it.

"It's still escalating, it really is. I don't know that it's getting better and that's really disheartening," she said.

"But I also think that because there is so much more awareness of it, that people are hearing more and more about it."

Education is now a key piece for Bruder, too. She says she still lives with her experiences and has to put effort into taking care of her mental health.

But now, she's using her experience to help vulnerable youth through her program the RISE Initiative. Many of the young people she works with have experienced homelessness, abuse and some are also survivors of trafficking.

She's created skills-based workshops hoping to help teens learn and heal.

"We have to arm kids with what human trafficking looks like, what are the signs," she said. 

Talia Ricci is a CBC reporter based in Toronto. She's from Guelph and has also reported in London and Winnipeg. From the Middle East to West Africa, Talia has travelled around the globe volunteering and photographing. She enjoys covering offbeat human interest stories and exposing social justice issues. When she's not reporting, you can find Talia creating recipes for her plant based food blog.

Only in Canada is it a Minor Offence to Destroy Dozens of Lives

Gordon Stuckless sentenced to 6½ years for sexually abusing 18 boys decades ago

'Their lives have been ruined by him, there's no doubt about it,'

defence lawyer says of victims

CBC News


Gordon Stuckless apologized in court earlier this year, saying he betrayed his young victims' trust and he alone should bear that shame. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Toronto: Gordon Stuckless, the man at the heart of the Maple Leaf Gardens sex abuse scandal, has been sentenced to 6½ years in prison for sexually abusing 18 boys decades ago.

Maple Leaf Gardens was the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL for many decades.

His sentence comes more than two years after he pleaded guilty to 100 charges for the crimes he committed.

Stuckless, 67, will receive six months' credit for time spent under house arrest, and so will serve six years.

"You ruined generations you f--king creep," one victim shouted as Stuckless was escorted out of the courtroom.

In handing down the sentence Thursday, provincial court Judge Mara Greene noted that Stuckless was a trusted figure for decades, working as a teaching assistant, a coach and at the Gardens. He took advantage of that trust to abuse his victims, Greene said, and structured his world to have access to boys.

His victims felt so much shame that it took them decades to come forward, the judge said. Some of the victims were as young as 10 and 11 years old.

Greene also noted that Stuckless had taken responsibility for his actions, is voluntarily submitting to chemical castration and has not re-offended. 

Stuckless's lawyer, Ari Goldkind, had argued that his client should face a five-year sentence, with two years of credit for time spent on house arrest and steps taken to prevent recidivism — namely the fact that he has voluntarily undergone chemical castration for more than a decade.

Outside court Thursday, Goldkind said Stuckless has turned his life around and "made a vow never to harm another hair on a child's head."

"While there may be child molesters in our midst, there may be criminals in our midst, it is not Gordon Stuckless," Goldkind told reporters.

He acknowledged, however, the damage that Stuckless did to his victims.

"Their lives have been ruined by him, there's no doubt about it," Goldkind said. "And I hope that they find, and many have found, the strength to continue."

The Crown, meanwhile, had argued for a 12-year sentence, saying Stuckless had not shown genuine remorse for his actions and could not be legally compelled to continue taking anti-libido medication.

Stuckless apologized in court earlier this year, saying he betrayed the trust of his young victims and he alone should bear that shame.

The Gardens scandal exploded in the early 1990s, when Martin Kruze became the first man to step forward to say he had been lured to the hockey arena with promises of free tickets, paraphernalia and player autographs only to be sexually abused. Police arrested Stuckless and part-time usher John Paul Roby. 

Roby was convicted in 1999 of sexually abusing dozens of young boys. He died in prison two years later.

In 1997, Stuckless pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting 24 boys while he worked at the Gardens between 1969 and 1988.

He was sentenced to two years less a day in that case, but that was later increased to six years less a year for pre-trial custody. He was paroled in 2001 after serving two-thirds of his sentence.

So four years in prison for sexually assaulting 24 boys. And it wasn't even a plea bargain, but it was certainly a bargain for Stuckless.

Stuckless, who is originally from Newfoundland but has lived in Toronto for decades, returned to the spotlight in 2013 when the charges he was sentenced on today were announced. 

In 2014, he pleaded guilty to 100 charges — including indecent assault, sexual assault and gross indecency — for offences that occurred between 1965 and 1985.

At his sentencing hearing earlier this year, it was noted that Stuckless was also convicted of two additional charges relating to two of the victims.

With files from The Canadian Press and CBC's Natalie Kalata and Ali Chiasson

Perhaps the sentences were restricted but what laws were in place at the time the crimes were committed, but it's just ludicrous that he will spend no more than 8 years total in prison for sexually assaulting 42 boys more than 100 times.

I'm glad that he has reformed himself and taken steps to prevent re-occurrence of his abuse; but in 4 years he will be able to get on with what is left of his miserable life, while his dozens of victims continue to struggle through theirs.

One of Canada's Most Prolific Pedophiles Treated With Kid Gloves

The story below is a little contradictory starting from its title. The title shows a conclusion that is not supported by the article.

Unfortunately, Canada's pedophile sentencing is pathetically inadequate to protect our children or even discourage pedophiles from acting out

Proposed sentence for Stuckless shows willingness to condemn sexual abuse: expert

Gordon Stuckless

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press 

TORONTO -- The sentences proposed for the man at the heart of the Maple Leaf Gardens sex abuse scandal have disappointed and angered some of his victims, but at least one expert says they show a growing willingness to condemn sexual crimes against children.

Gordon Stuckless's lawyer is recommending his client receive a five-year sentence for sexually abusing 18 boys over several decades, with two years of credit for time spent on house arrest and efforts to prevent recidivism.

The Crown, meanwhile, wants the former teacher and volunteer coach to spend 12 years behind bars -- double the sentence he was handed down by an appeal court nearly two decades ago.

Some of his victims and their relatives said Stuckless deserves a life sentence for the harm he has caused, and railed against what they consider the lax penalties entrenched in Canadian law.

Nicholas Bala, a law professor at Queen's University, said that while no sentence will ever erase the trauma of sexual abuse, the justice system has taken an increasingly severe stance against such crimes.

"The defence is asking for a sentence that a couple decades ago would've been more than anybody would have imagined for this kind of offence and I think that's encouraging," Bala said.

Asking for is one thing, actually getting a realistic sentence is something else. I'm glad the Crown is asking for tougher sentences but the prolific nature of Stuckless' crimes warrant a sentence in centuries not a few years.

"The Crown is asking for a significantly longer sentence than the original sentence and that reflects, partly, our greater understanding of the devastating effects that child sexual abuse can have on victims and also a greater willingness to denounce this kind of conduct," he said.

"Historically, many of these cases...were not reported, they were not effectively prosecuted," he said. "It was not taken very seriously, particularly if there was no physical injury to the child."

Stuckless pleaded guilty to 100 charges and was found guilty of two more for abusing 18 boys between 1965 and 1985.

He previously pleaded guilty in 1997 for sex assaults on 24 boys while he worked as an equipment manager at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens between 1969 and 1988.

He was sentenced to two years less a day in that case, but that was later increased to six years, less a year for pre-trial custody. He was paroled in 2001 after serving two-thirds of his sentence.

It should have been six years per child! 6 years for 24 children means an average sentence of 3 months per life ruined. How is that even infinitesimally fair? It only contributes to the continuing victimization.

A report presented to Ontario's attorney general in 2009 found that those convicted of sexual abuse against a child they were not related to faced an average custodial sentence of 30.08 months between 1996 and 2008.

So why did Stuckless get 3 months?

The average sentence in Alberta for that same time period was 41.52 months, while it was 34.54 months in Quebec.

"Given that criminal laws in Canada are under federal jurisdiction and apply across the country without variation, this type of wide disparity in sentencing appears on its face, to be unwarranted," it read.

The report was the result of research that followed the Cornwall Inquiry, which examined allegations of child sexual abuse against several institutions in the namesake city. The study found the issue had only garnered widespread attention in the previous 25 years.

"Prior to this, however, the issue of child sexual abuse received little individual attention," it said.

Policy-makers began to focus on the issue in 1981 with the appointment of the Committee on Sexual Offences Against Children and Youth.

In its final report, dubbed the Badgley Report, the committee made a number of recommendations, including the creation of criminal charges specifically related to crimes against children.

Many of those reforms were later passed into law, and since then, several sexual offences against children have been given mandatory minimum sentences.

Those mandatory sentences may not apply in historical abuse cases because the accused is charged and sentenced according to the laws in place when the crime took place, said David MacAlister, a professor of criminology at Simon Fraser University.

Only if a sentence has since been reduced by law will the change apply, MacAlister said, noting it is extremely rare.

None of the charges Stuckless has been found guilty of carry a mandatory minimum sentence.

However, the 2009 report found that in Ontario, historical cases of non-familial child sex abuse tend to receive harsher sentences than current ones.

Between 1996 and 2008, the average custodial sentence for historical cases was 33.87 months, or 3.79 months longer than current cases.

This is my point - sentencing has gotten lighter since 2008 which is counter to every other country in the world and counter to common sense and decency. 

For God's sake, protect our children!

Stuckless's victims have called on the judge to impose the toughest possible sentence, saying the notorious case would set a new precedent.

Regardless of the sentence, Bala said the case will make an impact.

"This is an important case, partly because he was associated with one of the central cultural institutions of our country...and he was exploiting that position with the most vulnerable children in society," he said.

"From a social point of view, the fact that someone like this has been held accountable, that many victims have come forward, it is significant."

Brent Hawkes, Toronto Pastor, Charged in Nova Scotia with Sex Crimes Dating to '70s

Order of Canada recipient is a well-known activist for 

LGBT rights

Why does that not surprise me?

CBC News 

Rev. Brent Hawkes, of the Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto, has been charged with indecent assault and gross indecency in Nova Scotia. (Eric Foss/CBC)

Brent Hawkes, a prominent Toronto pastor, has been charged with committing sex crimes in Nova Scotia, lawyer Clayton Ruby confirmed to CBC News.

Ruby said his client was charged by the RCMP in December with indecent assault and gross indecency in Kings County, N.S. The incidents allegedly occurred in the 1970s.

The 65-year-old, who delivered the eulogy at former New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton's 2011 funeral, has been the senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto for nearly 40 years. 

Hawkes is well-known in the LGBT community and has been recognized for his work by the City of Toronto, the United Nations Toronto Association, York University and the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.

Well done! You guys really know how to pick the highest quality human beings. You must feel really  good about yourselves.

He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2007 for his work in human rights and social justice in the LGBT community.

Of course he was!

Metropolitan Community Church web page

'I am innocent,' says Hawkes

Of course he is!

In a statement posted to the Metropolitan Community Church website Monday, Hawkes denied the allegations.

"I want to be crystal clear: I am innocent of these allegations. The purported events simply did not take place. While it is impossible for me to understand where these almost 40-year-old accusations come from, I have a faith that will sustain me as well as faith in Canada's justice system."

Hawkes said he will fight the allegations "with all that I have."

The board of the church also released a statement, saying, "Brent has our steadfast support." 

Of course he does!

Ruby said he could not say much because the allegations are now before the courts. But he said in a statement that he is confident Hawkes will be "vindicated."

Of course he will!

Ruby said the alleged incident took place before Hawkes became the pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church, adding that the church is not making the charge. He also added that the church is not funding Hawkes's legal defence.

But he has their 'steadfast support', just not their financial support. Just in case.

12 Suspects Arrested on Child Pornography Charges in Canada

Twelve suspects have been arrested in two Canadian provinces, mostly in Quebec, during a major bust on an alleged online child sexual exploitation ring. The operation was the result of a three-year-long investigation.

The suspects, aged 27 to 74, were detained on Wednesday in Quebec City, Montreal, Trois Rivieres, Toronto, Saint-Eustache and Richelieu-Saint-Laurent.

They are suspected of having online discussions about their sexual experiences with kids and sharing advice on where to meet children without causing suspicion, Quebec’s provincial police force, Surete du Quebec, said.

"They would also talk about tactics to use and places to go for the purpose of abusing children without awakening suspicion," Sergeant Joyce Kemp told CTV News Channel on Wednesday morning.

About 150 police officers from Quebec and Ontario took part in the arrests, dubbed the Operation Malaise.  

Great name! You can't get much 'sicker' than someone who watches child porn, and then talks about it with other perverts.

How sad so many are from Quebec. Is that an example of evolution - Quebecers who were once called voyageurs are now called voyeurs?

The officers have been combing the homes of the suspects and withdrawing computer software for further investigation.

"Seizures were made in the houses where the suspects live. Computers were seized and their contents will be analyzed," Surete du Quebec spokeswoman Sergeant Melanie Dumaresq told CBC News.

Some of the suspects are expected to appear in a Montreal courthouse on Wednesday.

The investigation into child sexual abuse was launched in 2013 after a police received a tip from a member of the public.

 The team to curb child sexual exploitation was formed a year earlier, Kemp said.

"Since this investigation team was put together… nearly 350 arrests have been made and thanks to this, dozens of victims have been identified in different cases," she said, as cited by the CTV News.

Child sexual coercion is one of the most under-reported crimes in Canada. The 2004 General Social Survey on Victimization, a sociological survey in the United States, found that eight in 10 youths ages 15 to 17 who had been victimized did not report the incident to police.

Great work people. You are my heroes today. God bless you.
Now if we can just get the judges to give them more than a slap on the wrist, it might have been worthwhile.

Toronto Hotel Stabbing Leaves 12-year-old Boy Dead

A 12-year-old boy died in a downtown Toronto trauma centre after a stabbing
early Wednesday at a Toronto hotel. Police have a man in custody.
(Tony Smyth/CBC)

A man is in custody after 12-year-old boy was stabbed at a downtown Toronto hotel and later died.

Police were called to the Cambridge Suites Hotel, near the intersection of Richmond Street East and Victoria Street, just before 6 a.m. ET Wednesday.

They found the boy in life-threatening condition on the eighth floor of the highrise tower. He died in a trauma centre.

Police would not say whether he was stabbed inside a room at the hotel or in a hallway.

Hawaiian tourist Edwin Baldelomar, who is staying at the hotel, said police were canvassing the building.

"They asked me, 'Did you hear any commotion?'" he said. "It's a sad story. I just can't believe what happened."

It's not immediately known if any charges will be laid, and police would not comment on whether the man in custody and the boy are related.

Homicide Det. Omar Khan would only say there is no ongoing threat to public safety.

"We believe we have all the persons involved accounted for."

CBC News reporters are at the scene and will provide new information as soon as it becomes available.

Police are expected to provide an update on the ongoing investigation later today.

My first thoughts on reading this story was to remember yesterday's blog-post on child sex trafficking, and the 14 year old girl who wondered around a motel for days while not a soul asked her if she needed help.

It should become clear over the next few days whether this was a case of child sex trafficking, pedophilia, or something else completely. 

Toronto Gang Arrested in Country-wide Human Trafficking Probe

Police say victims ranged from 15 to 33 and were from 

Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta

TO Police Trafficking Team

you are my heroes today

Police announce the arrest of what they say are nine members of a
Toronto street gang on Wednesday morning. (Shannon Martin/CBC)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada police have arrested nine people and laid 61 charges in a multi-province investigation into an alleged human trafficking operation. There is a warrant outstanding for one further person.

From October 2014 to April 2015, the Sex Crimes Human Trafficking Enforcement Team were looking into a Toronto street gang called the Complex Crip Gangsters for what they believed to be a Canada-wide human trafficking network. Police called the investigation Project Guardian.

Police say the accused would recruit women at dance clubs, schools and group homes and force them into sex work. They would also befriend women online, using Facebook and Instagram.

The victims involved ranged in age from 15 to 33 and were from Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta. The girls and women were forced to work and turn over the money they earned, and if they did not make enough money, they would be physically beaten and threatened, police say.

The police allege the women were being forced to service 10-15 clients a day.

Police say they identified four alleged victims during their investigation.

On April 2, the police raided dwellings in the area of Jane Street and Wilson Avenue, and Kipling Avenue and Rexdale Boulevard to make the arrests. They also say they found stolen property, as well as drugs such as cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and MDMA. As well, they gathered evidence related to hotels and motels.

The charges laid include human trafficking and drug-related counts, as well as obstructing a peace officer, possession of the proceeds of crime, and trafficking in persons under 18 years.

Police have released  photos of some of the arrested.
Clockwise from top left: Marcus Cumsille, 21,
 Joel Edwards, 22, Levi Alexander, 19,
who has not yet been arrested,
and Chanelle Espinosa, 20. (Toronto police)

The accused are:

Marcus Cumsille, 21, of Toronto.
Joel Edwards, 22, of Toronto.
Tyronne Matthews, 20, of Toronto.
Felix Funes Vasquez, 19, of Toronto.
Shane Hendry, 18, of Toronto.
Symisha Murray, 19, of Toronto.
Abdulwahab Sheikh, 18, of Toronto.
Keron Christie, 32, of Toronto.
Chanelle Espinosa, 20, of Toronto.
Levi Alexander, 19, of Toronto, has not been apprehended and is wanted on an arrest warrant.

Police believe there may be more victims.

Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 416-808-7474.

Information can also be passed on anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.