Calgary man gets six years in prison for luring teenage girls using social media

Accused traded drugs for sex with youth he had contacted on the Whisper app

Using the internet to lure underage girls to his home for sex has landed a Calgary man a six-year sentence.

Justice Willie deWit on Wednesday said Ian Patrick Wilson’s crimes against three Calgary teens would normally attract a 7 1/2–year sentence.

But deWit said such a term would be unduly harsh considering Wilson had never been to jail before.

The Court of Queen’s Bench judge said the totality principal of sentencing required him to reduce the total sentence.

DeWit noted Wilson preyed on his victims, grooming them with repeated texts after meeting them online.

Crown prosecutor Donna Spaner had sought a sentence of seven years, while defence lawyer Balfour Der proposed a five-year term.

Wilson, 40, admitted using the social media app Whisper to lure three teenage girls to his home for the purpose of having sex.

In one case, a 15-year-old girl posted online that she was desperate for money and would perform sexual acts for cash.

“She was contacted over the Whisper app by an individual who called himself ‘Alex,’” said Spaner, reading from a statement of agreed facts signed by Wilson and Der.

The teen twice went to Wilson’s Woodbine home in southwest Calgary and had sexual relations with him, Spaner said.

The girl later identified Wilson in a photo lineup.

On Aug. 31, 2016, Wilson was arrested in connection with the teen’s allegations.

More than a month later, another victim contacted police about her interactions with Wilson, whom she also initially met through the Whisper app.

She said that the previous fall or early winter, when she was 15, she was persuaded to go to Wilson’s home, where they engaged in sexual intercourse.

The victim was upset over the sexual contact and stopped texting Wilson, but he persistently sent her texts.

During those communications, the girl told Wilson her age.

In late March 2016, she eventually capitulated and returned to his home, where they engaged in sex a second time.

She, too, selected Wilson out of a photo lineup.

Wilson’s third victim was discovered by police when they went to his home to charge him in connection with the second teen and conduct a warrantless search, which they were permitted to do under his release conditions.

When officers asked if there was anyone else in the residence, he told them about the 16-year-old girl in his bedroom.

Police later learned Wilson had met that victim when she, too, was 15 years old and gave her marijuana in exchange for sex.

Wilson contacted her after she posted on Whisper that she was looking to purchase marijuana. After they met and she said she had no money, he asked for sex for drugs.

When officers asked if there was anyone else in the residence, he told them about the 16-year-old girl in his bedroom.