KITCHENER - A young Kitchener man who committed sexual attacks on three strangers - including forcing a 14-year-old girl to perform oral sex in a park - has been sentenced to 23 months in jail.

"It is particularly aggravating that the circumstances of these attacks were the sort of circumstances that any girl or woman in this community could find themselves in," Justice John Lynch said.

"Those victims were simply out walking within the community in public areas. Clearly, these were all random attacks."

Edwin Antwi, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference.

In May 2017, Antwi followed a 14-year-old girl after they got off a bus at 11:30 p.m. in Waterloo.

He grabbed her arms and back, and forced her to walk to a park. He pushed her hands into his pants and forced her to rub his penis. He told her if she stopped, she was "not going to go home." At one point he grabbed her breasts.

The girl "felt trapped and was afraid that she would be hurt if she tried to leave or run away," according to an agreed statement of facts.

Antwi directed her to a secluded area of the park, where he laid down on the grass. He told the girl, "The faster it happens, the faster you get to go home," and forced her to perform oral sex. She feared for her safety.

Antwi hugged her and told her she could leave.

"You don't know me, I don't know you, nobody needs to know about this," he said.

The girl told court in a victim-impact statement the attack has devastated her. She has trouble sleeping and her grades have suffered.

"I used to be so fearless," she said. "I can't walk anywhere at any time without looking over my shoulder every few minutes to see if someone is near me."

In June 2016, two women, both 22, were walking on Lester Street near Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo at 2 a.m.

Antwi approached them from behind and grabbed their buttocks.

"He placed one arm around each of their necks in a headlock and attempted to kiss them both," according to the agreed facts. "He was very aggressive and was trying to choke them."

One woman poked Antwi in the eye and freed herself. Antwi still had the other woman in a chokehold and began dragging her backward. Kicking and screaming, she managed to break free.

Antwi wasn't linked to the 2016 crimes until he was arrested for the attack on the girl.

"Offences such as these shock communities," the judge said. "They are random, violent, sexual in nature and cause fear within community members. They impact on the sense of security that all should be able to enjoy within our communities."

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Crown prosecutor Sidney McLean had sought three to four years in the penitentiary.

"Edwin Antwi stalked, confined and violently sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl as part of a random and nighttime stranger attack in a public place," she said.

"The attack was serious, it was brutal, it was invasive, it was terrifying, it was humiliating. And it had a devastating impact on the life of a young girl, an impact that she will carry with her likely throughout the rest of her days."

Defence lawyer Hal Mattson said Antwi is "dripping with remorse."

He noted Antwi accepted responsibility by pleading guilty, sparing the victims from testifying. He apologized, took counselling and has good prospects for rehabilitation, Mattson said. He has no prior record.

Mattson sought a sentence of 15 to 18 months. Anything less than two years is served in jail, not the penitentiary.

"Do we really want to send a young man with no record to some place where he's going to surrounded by hardened criminals? What's that going to do?"

Antwi was ordered to give a DNA sample and placed on the sex offender registry for life. For five years he must stay away from areas where children might be and can't work or volunteer where he's in a position of trust or authority over children. He will be on probation for three years.

"I'm terribly sorry," Antwi told the victims in court. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

Antwi, whose 23-month sentence is on top of the 47 days he spent in presentence custody, waved to his family members before being led off to jail.