Gary Lippa. (Gary Lippa on Facebook)

By David Opinko

Lippa Convicted

Gary Lippa likely to be sentenced for child porn, sex assault in May

Feb 20, 2020 | 3:13 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A Lethbridge man has been convicted of a trio of sex-related offences involving a minor.

An Agreed Statement of Facts was read in Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench on Thursday, February 20 for Gary Lippa, 38.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to luring a child, sexual assault, and making, printing, and publishing child pornography. The charges are in relation to a girl who was 13-years-old at the time the offences began.

Crown Prosecutor Lisa Weich read that Lippa knew the girl’s family for many years. When she was younger, the girl often referred to him as her uncle.

After the youth’s parents separated, Lippa briefly dated her mother.

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Once that relationship ended in 2016, the man gave the girl a cell phone so they could communicate with each other. This phone was later replaced by a newer-model phone her mother gifted to her.

The two would most frequently communicate via text or video chat as Lippa is hard of hearing, although there were audio phone conversations as well. The contents of their conversations were often deleted afterwards.

He asked the child on several occasions to send him nude photos of herself, perform sexual acts to herself, and to have conversations of a sexual nature.

In August of 2017, the girl mentioned to Lippa that she was going to spend time with other family members in north Lethbridge. Lippa, who resides on the west side, asked her to find excuses to leave the home and meet up with him in person so they could have sex.

Weich read a text message from Lippa to the girl from the Agreed Statement of Facts.

“Are you going to do everything I ask?”

The girl replied yes.

She made her way to his home and the two had sexual intercourse.

In September 2017, the girl’s mother became aware of the sexual relationship between the two and immediately reported it to RCMP. The youth’s cell phone was confiscated.

Despite these developments, the girl continued communicating with Lippa. She said she missed him and loved him.

RCMP got Lethbridge Police Service involved, who then contacted ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit.

Officials were able to obtain records from the girl’s phone and a search warrant for Lippa’s home.

ALERT officers conducted the search warrant on February 22, 2018. Lippa was arrested and several electronic devices were seized.

During an interview with police, Lippa admitted to his actions and said he knew that what he was doing was wrong.

He told the officer that he was helping her with her confidence.

LNN spoke to Crown Prosecutor Carolyn Ayre, who said she was glad that Lippa pleaded guilty to three of the six original offences.

“We certainly did avoid a lengthy trial, and in files of this type, I’m sure you can appreciate the sensitivity of the type of evidence. It saved our young complainant from having to testify.”

The charge of child luring carries a minimum sentence of one year in prison, as does the charge for making, possessing, and publishing child pornography. As for the count of sexual assault, Ayre says that can vary.

She also talked about the importance of parents remaining vigilant with any communications their children are having over the internet, particularly for young girls.

“It appeared that this case was spearheaded by a vigilant parent, who saw some inappropriate messages on her daughter’s phone. It is as a result of that involvement of the parent that this investigation started and went the way it did.”

Once the Crown had finished recounting the Agreed Statement of Facts, the presiding judge convicted Lippa of the three counts he previously pleaded guilty to.

A forensic risk assessment and a pre-sentencing report have been ordered.

Court will reconvene in March to set a date for sentencing. Sentencing is expected to happen in mid-May.

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