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A man who took photos of his erect penis near a sleeping three-year-old girl’s face was a friend of the child’s family who had lived with them for a period of time.

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That breach of trust is a significant aggravating factor, Crown prosecutor Evan Thompson said during the man’s sentencing hearing in Saskatoon provincial court.

Jeremy Christopher Maendel, 28, was babysitting the little girl when he took seven photos on March 11, 2016 near Duck Lake, Sask. Three images featured Maendel’s penis and four focused on the child’s genitals.

The photos came to police attention in May 2016, when the father of the victim saw a Facebook message in his ex-partner’s inbox that featured sexual images of their three-year-old daughter. The girl’s mother said they were sent by a friend, who used to date Maendel and found the photos on his phone.

Maendel was arrested shortly after and initially denied taking the photos. He later admitted he was on drugs at the time and tried to delete the images the next day when he realized what he had done.