A former London military medic, convicted Friday of sexual assaulting women during breast exams, should get the maximum penalty for his crimes, one of his Southwestern Ontario victims says.

“I think he should get 10 years. Really, he should get a year or more for every person he did it to,” Kristen Harms of Union, near St. Thomas, said. “I knew he would be proven guilty. I’m glad. He deserved it.”

Retired petty officer, second class, James Wilks was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual assault and 15 of breach of trust by a public officer, following a court martial.

He was found not guilty on one charge of breach of trust by a public officer.

Sixteen women testified, saying Wilks asked they strip to their underwear and submit to breast exams between 2003 and 2009 in London and Thunder Bay.

Wilks demonstrated a “serious and marked departure” from appropriate behaviour and misused his position to get consent for the breast exams, presiding military Judge Lt.-Col Louis-Vincent d’Auteuil said.

The judge noted many of the breast exams had no medical value and didn’t fall in line with military medical guidelines.

“All those women told the court they would not have allowed the breast exam in any way if they knew it was not part of the medical examination,” he said. “(Wilks) did that for his own personal, sexual gratification.”

Wilks’ sentencing hearing will begin in February. He faces a maximum 10 years behind bars.

“It’s a serious case in terms of the trust that was imposed on Mr. Wilks,” prosecutor Maj. Dylan Kerr said. “He had a position of trust and authority over some vulnerable persons, young females.”

It’s too early to talk about an appeal, said defence counsel Maj. David Hodson.

“Obviously, Mr. Wilks is very disappointed,” he said, noting Wilks served the military “faithfully for 27 years.”

Wilks was stationed in London and Thunder Bay for the latter part of that career.

At the court martial, he testified a few of the female recruits “inadvertently” exposed their breasts during their medical exams.

Wilks admitted to conducting breast exams of female military staff during his time in Thunder Bay, saying it was consistent with his training.

But he said he knew breast exams on military recruits weren’t required and not to be done.

Harms, a sonar operator, endured a gruelling cross-examination during which a childhood diagnosis of ADHD and a grandparent with schizophrenia were raised.

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THE WILKS CASE

2010: charged with sexually assaulting women in London and Sarnia during medical exams in 2008 and 2009.

2011: Found guilty, at court martial, of one count of sexual assault and four of breach of trust. Sentenced to nine months in jail.

2012: Charged again after more women claim they were assaulted in London and Thunder Bay between 2003 and 2009.

Friday: Found guilty of 10 counts of sexual assault, 15 of breach of trust