Lawsuit filed in sex offence case

Statement of claim against Aaron Crane includes five defendants

Less than a week after he was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual interference, a P.E.I. music teacher and actor is facing a lawsuit from the victim and her family.

A statement of claim filed Friday is seeking $1.5 million in damages from Aaron Crane, P.E.I. Arts Guild Inc., Anne and Gilbert Inc., Campbell Webster and Alanna Jankov.

Crane and the victim were both associated with The Guild when his inappropriate behaviour toward the girl began, before escalating to sexual intercourse.

The victim was younger than the age of consent at the time.

Yankov is CEO at The Guild, and Webster is a producer at the facility.

During the criminal case, the court heard Crane’s employer warned him several times after staff noticed inappropriate behaviour.

He was eventually asked to submit his resignation, which he did, but he didn’t stay away from the victim.

Several months later, the victim told a guidance counsellor she had been in a sexual relationship with Crane.

The statement of claim said Crane owed a duty of care to the family to refrain from engaging in inappropriate sexual behaviour with the victim.

It also said the other defendants breached their duties to the victim and her family.

The statement of claim alleged Crane was able to commit the offences against the victim as a result of grooming her.

The statement of claim has yet to be tested in court.

The defendants have yet to file statements of defence.

On Friday afternoon, The Guardian contacted Webster who said he did not want to comment because he hadn’t seen the statement of claim yet.

Yankov also said she hadn’t seen the statement of claim yet when contacted Friday afternoon.

She referred The Guardian to The Guild’s board chairman Shawn Murphy.

Attempts to contact Murphy were unsuccessful.

A publication ban from the criminal proceedings prevents the release of any details that could identify the victim.