Man sentenced to two years on sex charges involving child

Crown says 33-year-old wanted 14-year-old girl to become his sex slave

A man who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and expressed his desire to make her his sex slave, has been jailed for two years.

In an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Friday, Benjamin Reid contested details given by the Crown and maintained he didn’t force the teen to commit a sexual act.

The 33-year-old resident of Perth, Ont., called the Crown’s version of events “a bit blown out of proportion.”

To that end, assistant Crown attorney Todd Morris read in one of the many text messages Reid sent to the teen.

“You will be the perfect (expletive) toy for daddy and learn how to be the hottest little slut for me and I will teach you how to be the perfect woman and guide you through life,” the message read.

“You are going to be the most amazing and perfect little sexual object when I’m done training you.”

Reid said he didn’t recall sending that specific message to the teen. He also questioned the Crown’s assertion that he forced the child to perform a sex act, saying he “allowed” her to do it.

Reid on Friday pleaded guilty to four sex-related offences including making sexually explicit material available to someone under 19 and sexual interference.

He was sentenced to two years in jail, which takes into account the two-and-a-half years he spent in pretrial custody.

“It is appropriate that I condemn and denounce what you have done, on behalf of the community,” said Judge Joseph De Filippis.

“When young people are sexually violated, they carry that harm with them for their life and sometimes they don’t recover from it.”

Reid apologized in court.

“I am mad at myself for putting anybody through this situation,” he said.

“I never imagined going through anything like this. It’s not who I am.”

Court heard the defendant began communicating with the child on a messaging website in October 2018.

In November, he drove to Grimsby where he picked up the girl from school. He drove her to a secluded area, where she was sexually assaulted.

In a victim impact statement presented in court, the girl’s mother described how the incident has affected her child.

“With family and love she copes, but coping is not the same as living,” she wrote.

“Our little girl was lost, you could just see it in her eyes. Her spirit has been taken.”

“I pray you never know how or feel the indescribable hurt and pain that my heart feels.

“As a parent, you wish you could turn back the clocks and take away the past, present and future pain. I wish I could bottle it up and throw it on myself.”

Defense lawyer Scott Reid told the judge his client, who had no previous criminal record, has been diagnosed with depression during his time in jail.

“Depression is not an excuse for his behaviour, but it may be a contributing factor in explaining this,” he said.

The defendant’s name will be placed on the national sex offender registry for life.