Lawyers urge 10-year term for sexual assault

Heerema was a ‘predator’ and ‘proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing,’ Crown says

Sexually abusing boys under his charge should land former Young Canadians business administrator Philip Heerema a 10-year prison term, court was told Tuesday.

Crown prosecutor Martha O’Connor and defence counsel Allan Fay agreed a 10-year term was appropriate on eight charges involving abuse of six teenagers.

Heerema, 55, pleaded guilty midtrial in January to charges including sexual assault and making child pornography.

In arguing for a 10-year sentence, O’Connor described Heerema as a predator.

“He was the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing,” O’Connor said. “Heerema is a sexual predator.” O’Connor noted Heerema’s “grooming” of his six victims included “the making of child pornography.”

She said Heerema abused his victims when they were at their most vulnerable.

“Victims of child sexual abuse have their childhoods stolen from them,” O’Connor told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Larry Ackerl.

“The offender groomed each victim.”

The prosecutor noted a psychiatric assessment by Dr. Patrick Baillie found Heerema lacked insight into his behaviour.

“He seems to blame his victims,” O’Connor said, citing Baillie’s findings.

“Mr. Heerema’s only interest is for himself and he is devoid of remorse.”

Ackerl also heard victim-impact statements from three of the males and one of their mothers.

The mother of the boy who first reported Heerema to the authorities spoke of the devastating effect the crimes had on her son.

“He went from being a happy kid who loved the Young Canadians to being a moody and secretive kid who hated the Young Canadians and wanted to quit,” she said.

“He was violated by Phil. He was lured and drawn into behaviours that he now feels guilty and ashamed about.”

She said her son’s grief was compounded by having to testify at both a preliminary inquiry and Heerema’s trial, which had already begun when he decided to plead guilty.

“Having to relive the details of everything over and over again has been devastating to my son,” the mother said.

She also read into court her son’s victim-impact statement.

“I felt completely alone and trapped,” he wrote, about being sexually abused by Heerema while he was with the Young Canadians.

“Phil was everywhere and I was in a nightmare,” he said. “Everybody loved Phil.” Defence counsel Allan Fay said the Young Canadians was his client’s life.

“He was the first to open the door and last to leave,” Fay said.

“All he wanted was for the Young Canadians to be an amazing organization,” the lawyer said.

“Phil Heerema was dedicated to the Young Canadians.”

Fay said the public is wrong in saying Heerema is “a predator, a pedophile and some sort of monster.”

“This is not who or what Philip Heerema is. He’s a human being who made mistakes,” he said.

“His goal was always to help others be the best they could be.”

The lawyer said letters of support contradicted the suggestion Heerema was remorseless for his crimes.

“He has frequently expressed remorse for his actions,” Fay said.

Ackerl will hand down his sentence Wednesday.