Court of Queen's Bench

By Lara Fominoff

Trial begins for Raymond area man charged with sex assault and incest *Graphic Content*

Jan 15, 2020 | 4:16 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – An eight-day trial has begun in Court of Queen’s Bench in Lethbridge, for a 54-year old Raymond-area father charged with one count each of sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, and incest.

The man’s name can not be released because of a publication ban.

Proceedings got underway Wednesday morning (Jan. 15), as the judge gave initial instructions to 12-member jury, including seven women and five men.

During his opening remarks, Co-Crown Prosecutor Tom Brannen told the jury he intended to call the alleged victim who was between the ages of 9 and 13 when the abuse took place, her mother, and other family members, along with RCMP officers.

Brannen then said he anticipated witnesses describing incidents including the accused and the victim in the basement of the family home with the door locked, in a trailer with the door locked, and the girl describing events that began with her sitting on her father’s lap while he taught her to drive, putting his hands in her pants. Subsequent to that, the accused allegedly began engaging the girl in oral sex, sexual stimulation and finally, intercourse.

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The young girl and her mother reported the incidents to RCMP in Jan. 2018, not long after the girl’s father moved out of the house.

According to an Agreed Statement of Facts, the man is the girl’s biological father. The alleged incidents occurred between Sept. 2013, and Jan. 2018.

The first witness, an RCMP Constable, described the mother and her daughter coming to a police station in early Jan. 2018. There, the mother asked to speak with a female officer, however none were available. The officer admitted he didn’t have much experience interviewing children and that some of his questions were leading. He said he should not have allowed the mother to remain in the room while the child was interviewed.

The girl’s mother then testified that she and the accused had a rocky relationship, separating three times, including their final separation in 2018. She told the court when the two announced they were parting ways, her eldest son from a prior relationship and youngest son didn’t react unusually, however her daughter, began “doing backflips and cartwheels” in the kitchen and she wondered, “what the crap is happening?”

Around 9:30 that night, the mother put her daughter to bed, tucked her in and asked whether there was anything she needed to tell her. The girl sat up, tucked in her body in a corner of her bed, stiffened and held a stuffed animal. The mother asked if someone touched her and where?

The girl motioned to her whole body and confirmed that it had allegedly been her father. The mother took her daughter to a doctor the following day, during which she was examined, social services was called, and the pair then went to RCMP.

The girl told her mother that her father had taught her how to masturbate, that she was doing “things” her mother would not do with her father, and that he had been giving her alcohol prior to their encounters. Several days later the mother threw out all of the alcohol in the home.

The mother also told the court she had thrown out some sex toys because they weren’t being used, however her daughter showed her the items had instead been put into a duffel bag, in the mother’s closet without her knowledge.

The Crown is expected to call several other witnesses, including additional family members and the alleged victim. The trial is expected to continue until the end of next week.