Damage ‘beyond repair’

Voices of rape victims heard in impact statements at long-term offender hearing for child sex predator

* Warning: disturbing content

Four women detailed the devastating effects of their abuse decades after Russell Dennis Wolfe repeatedly raped them as children.

Shared themes in the women’s audio-recorded victim impact statements, played on Monday during Wolfe’s long-term offender hearing in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench, included isolation, secrecy, drug use and guilt.

The women were between 11 and 13 years old when Wolfe used money, drugs and alcohol to lure them into performing sex acts. He would often record the abuse and take nude photos of the girls, making his own child pornography.

Two of the four victims said they got involved in the sex trade as adults. All said they fell into some sort of addiction, and at least two said they blame themselves for what happened.

The Crown initially pursued a dangerous offender hearing for Wolfe — a designation that carries the possibility of an indeterminate prison sentence. Instead, the Crown and defence are proceeding with a long-term offender hearing, jointly proposing a sentence of 15 years in prison, minus five years of remand credit, followed by a 10-year supervision order.

Wolfe, 59, pleaded guilty last year to 20 child sexual assault, child porn and prostitution-related charges stemming from incidents between 1997 and 2008. An unrelated child pornography investigation in 2014 uncovered Wolfe’s historical abuse of 14 girls ranging in age from nine to 17.

His victims were from the King George neighbourhood, where Wolfe lived across from the elementary school.

One of the women said she had to drop out of school when her classmates heard what was happening with Wolfe.

He started sexually assaulting her when she was 11 years old.

Her older sister said being used for sex at the age of 13 has damaged her emotionally and spiritually “beyond repair.”

Another woman, who was also 13 at the time, said she avoids sleeping because of the nightmares.

“I pretty much shut my emotions off,” she said.

Many of the women said they don’t have support and became withdrawn. One described pushing her family away and losing her partner because she felt “dirty.”

Another said she kept her sex abuse a secret for years and wants to prevent this from happening to other little girls who are curious and vulnerable.

“I just want to keep them safe. The less people like (Wolfe) that are out there, the safer they are.”

Two corrections employees testified about the type of programming and release conditions a long-term sex offender would face.

Long-term offender sentences are often sought for repeat sex offenders and are comprised of a definite prison term followed by long-term supervision order.

The Crown and defence must show the judge that Wolfe poses a significant risk to reoffend, but that his risk can eventually be managed in the community.

Chrystal Wigton, a corrections employee, testified that a highintensity sex offender program would be available if Wolfe receives a long-term offender designation.

The hearing is expected to resume on Thursday.