A Saskatchewan woman, Barbara George, 36, had sex with the 14-year-old friend of her son but then explained to police that she didn’t know he was under age. She was found not guilty. In law, Ms. George had a series of burdens on her to try to establish the boy’s age. Recently, the Supreme Court of Canada threw out the Crown’s appeal upholding the trial judge’s verdict of not guilty. Today the SCOC explained the trial judge did not, in its opinion, make an error when he concluded that George honestly did not believe the boy was under age. She was acquitted of the charges because the sexual activity was “factually consensual,” it said. Interesting. There was reasonable doubt, the SCOC found, that she had not taken all reasonable steps to determine the age of the boy. He was attending a party at her home the night of the encounter. By the way, Ms. George was caught and charged in this matter when she applied to become an RCMP officer. She was asked if she had ever had sex with anyone under the age of 16. It all came out.

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