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The 41-year-old lost his business, Pink Nightclub, and his reputation in both the business and LGBTQ communities has taken a great fall, the defence said when arguing for a 30-month sentence.

“There are consequences to bad behaviour,” Justice Ronald Mills replied.

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He also acknowledged that the victim has suffered negative consequences for coming forward about the assault. Reading from a statement, the victim told court he lost his circle of friends, his creative pursuits and his self-confidence.

“I lost a sense of safety,” he said.

Court heard Anderson had no prior criminal record and is considered to be of “good character.” A stack of support letters described Anderson as generous, supportive and loving — someone who gives jobs to newcomers and regularly organizes charity events. One man even credited Anderson’s friendship with saving his life.

Mills told Anderson his community involvement is at odds with his criminal behaviour, suggesting this was an “anomaly.”

“People of upstanding character commit sexual offences,” Rock said in her submissions, adding this is often shocking to society and hard for people to accept, which creates an uphill battle for complainants.

The victim testified that he blacked out in Anderson’s hot tub and awoke to Anderson anally penetrating him in a bedroom. He said he has no memory of consenting to the sex and told Anderson to stop.

Anderson said he crawled into bed with the man to cuddle, and that the man initiated and actively engaged in sex by getting on top of him. Defence lawyer Brad Mitchell argued that although Anderson admitted being extremely intoxicated earlier in the night, there is no evidence that suggests he was too drunk to comprehend the complainant’s level of intoxication later that morning.