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“A timely plea of guilt, therefore, in a matter where the Crown would otherwise have had to rely on the testimony of a vulnerable witness, is highly mitigating. Surely as a matter of public policy, we as a society wish to encourage offenders to resolve such matters without the need to have the victim publicly describe in detail the abuse to which they were subjected,” the judge said.

The convicted sex criminal had a Grade 9 education. He had been adopted at an early age after child-welfare workers seized him from his own abusive family. He never bonded with his adoptive family, according to his pre-sentence report, and ended up living on the streets by age 16.

Diagnosed with ADHD, the man had a spotty work history because he couldn’t get along with co-workers. His criminal record is more extensive than his résumé, with other convictions dating back to 1997, although none for sex offences. He has been in and out of jail for a number of crimes of dishonesty, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and uttering threats.

In an interview with a probation officer, the man said he understood that he had destroyed his daughter’s life but still didn’t have a full grasp of the fact she was not to blame. He also claimed he didn’t know why it happened and “was not thinking like an adult, but that I am not a sexual predator.”

A forensic psychiatrist who examined the father said there was no evidence of pedophilic disorder. The doctor also said the inmate posed a moderate to high risk to commit more violent crime, but his risk for future sex crimes was “low and based only on opportunity.”

The man’s defence lawyer, Paolo Giancaterino, said: “It is my client’s hope that the guilty plea may be viewed as an acceptance of full responsibility for his actions that may assist with the healing process going forward.”

gdimmock@postmedia.com

Twitter: @crimegarden

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