Advisory: This story contains graphic, disturbing details.

A 61-year-old grandfather of seven who drove from Edmonton to Victoria to have sex with a five-year-old girl and her mother has been sentenced to 18 months in jail followed by three years of probation.

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Brian Steve Bandura pleaded guilty Wednesday to communicating with a person electronically to make arrangements to commit a sexual offence against a child.

“There is no doubt this is a very, very grave offence,” Victoria provincial court Judge Carmen Rogers said. “Planning a sexual offence against a five-year-old can only be described as abhorrent.”

In fact, there was no child victim. On April 6, a Victoria police detective went into an online chatroom, posing as a 26-year-old single mother named Lizzie, who had a five-year-old daughter called Sassy.

In the chatroom, Lizzie expressed an interest in incest and “family fun.” She was soon approached by Bandura, who was using the name Daddy14. Over the next seven weeks, Lizzie and Daddy14 carried on a graphic and extremely disturbing conversation, Rogers said. Bandura said he was sexually attracted to young girls, helpless girls and bondage.

Bandura started to plan a trip to Victoria. He talked about teaching Sassy how to perform oral sex, binding the young girl and making her watch him having sex with her mother, digital penetration and even intercourse with the five-year-old, Rogers said. Bandura also coached Lizzie on how she might prepare Sassy for a sexual encounter.

Bandura booked a hotel room in Victoria for the weekend of May 27 and was arrested when he arrived.

In his car, police found a large number of items used for bondage and sadomasochism, including whips, paddles, chains, probes with electric currents running through them, ropes, handcuffs, dog collars, riding crops, bamboo sticks and canes, duct tape with smiley faces, a pair of weighted black leather gloves and a black hood with no eye holes.

Police found images of very young girls on his phone, and other social media chats about bondage with at least one underage female, said Rogers.

Crown prosecutor Clare Jennings asked for a jail sentence of 18 to 24 months. Defence lawyer Jordan Watt asked for a nine-month jail sentence.

Bandura addressed the court, telling Rogers he had had six months to think about his actions and he is disgusted by his behaviour.

“I feel sick inside thinking about what I might have done … I know we have to protect children. They are innocent,” he said.

Rogers found the aggravating factors in the case to be the very young age of the proposed victim, the length of the communications, the extensive number of the communications, the sexual activities Bandura was planning, and the bondage and sadomasochistic equipment in his car. She also noted that this was not the only time Bandura had engaged in sexual discussions with a child.

Rogers found the mitigating factors to be Bandura’s guilty plea and his lack of a criminal record. She noted that Bandura raised his four children mostly as a single parent. Although his eldest daughter has nothing to do with him, his two youngest children wrote letters in support of him. Bandura is still allowed to see five of his seven grandchildren.

Also mitigating is the fact that Bandura has worked all his life. He was a heavy-duty mechanic for 20 years but lost that job when he was charged with this criminal offence.

Rogers said she accepted Bandura’s remorse and his willingness to engage in counselling to ensure he does not offend again in future, although Rogers said she had little information to judge his risk of offending in the future.

Rogers said this case is more serious than any of the luring cases she has been given for consideration at sentencing.

“I agree with Crown. It is difficult to imagine a more aggravating set of luring circumstances, unless there was an actual child victim involved.”

Rogers ordered Bandura to submit a sample of his DNA. During his probation, he is not allowed to have contact with any person who appears to be 16 years or younger except in the presence of another adult approved of in writing by his probation officer.

Bandura is not to go to any public park, school ground, day care, skating rink or community centre. He is not allowed to access the Internet except for employment purposes and he must take counselling as directed by his probation officer.

ldickson@timescolonist.com