Further delay in assault case

A registered sex offender who was convicted of sexually assaulting 13year-old girls three times between 2004 and 2010, was back in court Monday.

The Crown has been seeking a dangerous offender designation following Trevor Pritchard’s guilty plea in April to yet another charge of sexual assault, as well as a charge of child luring, against a 15-year-old girl.

The Court was supposed to hear a psychiatric assessment of Pritchard on Monday which would be the first step toward possibly obtaining that dangerous offender status; however, defence counsel asked for an adjournment until Aug. 27 so Pritchard’s new attorney could get up to speed on the case. This was granted.

An offender can be ruled a dangerous offender if the judge is satisfied the offence is a serious personal injury offence; if the offender constitutes a threat to the life, safety or physical or mental well-being of other persons; and if there is a pattern of repetitive behaviour that shows the offender cannot control his sexual impulses.

Pritchard can be sentenced to an indeterminate term of imprisonment if he’s declared a dangerous offender. If the judge rules he is a long-term offender, Pritchard must be sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison, followed by supervision for up to 10 years.

The accused still faces similar charges in relation to other underage girls, and is scheduled to stand trial on those charges in November. -With files from Delon Shurtz Follow @TimKalHerald on Twitter.