Mom tells court she’d likely sexually assault child again

Psychiatrist testifies at dangerous offender hearing

ST. CATHARINES — A Niagara woman who sexually assaulted her four-year-old daughter and offered the child to men for sex told a psychiatrist she is sexually aroused by her older daughter and would likely repeat her sexual behaviour if she had another child.

In an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Thursday, a court-appointed forensic psychiatrist who evaluated the mother of two said the defendant’s risk of “general recidivism” is low, while her risk of sexual recidivism is “low to moderate.”

“She said she was sexually aroused by her daughter and if she had another child, sexual behaviour would take place,” Dr. Treena Wilkie told court.

Wilkie said an “intensive” risk management plan that includes supervision, therapy and a “high level of monitoring” would need to be put in place if the woman was to be released into the community.

Without such a plan, she added, her risk of re-offending is elevated.

The 34-year-old woman pleaded guilty in January 2017 to 17 sex-related offences including sexual assault with a weapon, sexual interference and making and distributing child pornography.

The woman cannot be named due to a publication ban issued in order to protect the victim.

The Crown is now seeking to have the woman declared a dangerous offender, which would mean she could be jailed indefinitely.

Wilkie said research has shown female sexual offenders are usually under the influence of a male during the commission of a sexual offence.

She added that rates of recidivism in female sexual offenders are “very low.”

She said the defendant, however, is an “atypical” offender in that she often engaged in sexual activity with her young daughter without the presence of a male.

“This makes (the woman) different from the vast majority of female sex offenders,” said assistant Crown attorney Henry Limheng. “Yes,” Wilkie replied. The defendant was on medication at the time of her evaluation, which Wilkie said could have had an effect on the woman’s responses.

At times, the woman minimized the impact of her behaviour and said her children would often initiate sexual interaction.

“In my view, she should not have access to children in the future,” Wilkie added.

The defendant was one of six people arrested on 77 charges in August 2016 following a nine-month investigation by the Niagara Regional Police into alleged sexual abuse and internet exploitation of young children.

Six children, aged four to 17, were identified and rescued in what police dubbed Project Iceberg.

Some of the children had been victimized and others were being targeted as future victims of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.

The investigation drew in more than a dozen units within Niagara as well as assistance from Toronto Police Service’s sex crimes-child exploitation section.

Four men — three from Niagara and one from Toronto — were charged with multiple sex crimes against children.

The hearing continues later this month before Judge Ronald Watson.