By Taylor MacPherson

Man sentenced to 3.5 years for luring; child pornography

Jul 5, 2017 | 5:00 PM

CONTENT WARNING

A man who lured a 13-year-old girl over social media so he could have sex with her and make child pornography was handed a three-and-a-half-year penitentiary sentence this morning.

Brandon Charles Ashley Thomas, 23, pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault, making child pornography and online luring of a minor for sexual purposes, which occurred at Blaine Lake between January and April of last year. Thomas contacted the 13-year-old victim over Facebook. Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli said their conversations quickly became sexual and the pair exchanged nude photographs.

Thomas and the victim had sex four times, Morelli said; three times in the victim’s home while her parents were out and once in his car on a rural road. On one occasion Thomas used his phone to take photographs of the sex acts.

Members of the victim’s family, present in the courtroom for the sentencing hearing, had to stand up and leave as graphic details of the sexual encounters were read into the record.

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The ongoing abuse came to light when the victim’s sister was using her phone and Thomas sent sexual messages and images, thinking he was speaking with the victim. When he was confronted by the victim’s 17-year-old sister, Morelli said Thomas tried to convince her to stay silent.

“How can I make this go away?” Thomas asked the victim’s sister in a Facebook message read in court. “Are we going to come up with some kind of arrangement?”

Morelli said Thomas had sex with the victim again, even after her sister confronted him about the victim’s age. Although Thomas apologized for his actions before he was sentenced and said he wanted forgiveness from the victim and her family, Morelli said she was not entirely convinced.

“I’m not sure whether or not there is genuine remorse here,” she said, noting Thomas’ conduct indicated he knew his actions were wrong.

In her victim impact statement, the 13-year-old said she felt disgusted with herself after the abuse, which has left her with severe depression and anxiety.

“He took my virginity and he took my dignity and I don’t think I’ll ever get it back,” she wrote.

In addition to the prison sentence Thomas was banned from having any contact with girls under 16 for three years following his release, and was ordered to comply with the Sex Offender Information Registry Act.

Editor’s Note: Commenting on this story is closed.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews