Archery instructor jailed for nine months
Man convicted of sexually exploiting teens
Dennis Dew escaped the mandatory minimum sentence for sexual exploitation but his sentence wasn’t far off.
Justice Myrna Lack sentenced the former archery instructor to jail for nine months on Monday in Superior Court of Justice in Peterborough.
In April, Lack found Dew guilty of two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual exploitation for inappropriately touching two of his former archery students at Saugeen Shafts, on Lansdowne St. E.
Lack stayed the sexual assault charges and sentenced the 39year-old on the sexual exploitation charges.
With arms interlocked and holding hands, one of Dew’s victims and her family listened to Lack’s sentencing sample order and the placing of his name on the Sexual Offender Internet Registry Act for 20 years. They hugged one another in the courtroom after watching Dew be handcuffed and escorted to jail.
“Mr. Dew was in position of trust,” Lake said in her decision.
“The offences had significant impact on the victims.”
He was charged in May 2016 after a girl under 18, who can’t be
named under a publication ban, reported to Peterborough Police that Dew had touched her breast and made sexual comments about her body.
A press release was issued by police and another teen under 18 came forward. Dew was charged with additional counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation.
Dew hasn’t worked at Saugeen Shafts since his arrest.
“It was the natural consequences of such behaviour,” Justice Lack said, adding both girls loved archery. “Mr. Dew’s actions ruined that for them.”
In the judge-alone trial, assistant Crown attorney Lisa Wannamaker submitted a similar-fact application, which Lack accepted. In her ruling of guilt back in April, Lack called the evidence compelling and “so remarkably similar.”
Dew, represented by Dave McFadden, took the stand in his own defence and claimed the touching was accidental and happened when he was properly positioning them during instruction.
He also denied making any rude comments about their breasts and buttocks, and that he told them to keep his actions and comments “their little secret.” It was Dew’s position that the first teen went to police because she was upset about not qualifying for a tournament.
“I don’t believe his evidence,” Lack said, noting that Dew’s extremely detailed evidence of the days and incidences didn’t make sense.
During the trial, the judge also listened to testimony from both victims and the father of the first teen to come forward. Lack heard evidence from the girls of how Dew’s conduct escalated throughout each lesson.
The girls explained how Dew would touch their breasts and buttocks during instruction and make sexual comments. Wannamaker was seeking a jail sentence between the mandatory minimum of 12 months and 15 months.
McFadden asked for 90-day sentence to be served intermittently on weekends. He challenged the mandatory sentence based on it being unconstitutional and violation of Dew’s rights under Charter of Rights.
Lack felt the mandatory 12 months wasn’t a disproportionate sentence, but still ruled in favour of his application, and a lesser sentence of nine months.
He was charged in May 2016 after a teen under 18, who can’t be named under a publication ban, reported to Peterborough Police that Dew had touched her breast and made sexual comments about her body.
A press release was issued, and another teen under 18 came forward. Dew was charged with additional counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation.
Dew hasn’t worked at Saugeen Shafts since his arrest.
“It was the natural consequences of such behaviour,” Lack said, adding both girls loved archery. “Mr. Dew’s actions ruined that for them.”