Dangerous offender hearing continues for abusive mom

A Niagara woman who sexually assaulted her four- year- old daughter, and offered the child to men for sex, began having sex with men at the age of 14 in exchange for food and cash, court heard Tuesday.

The 34- year- old woman pleaded guilty in January 2017 to more than a dozen sex- related charges including sexual assault with a weapon and making child pornography.

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

The defendant, who cannot be named due to a publication ban issued in order to protect the victims, told a court- appointed forensic psychiatrist she was sexually abused by her stepfather starting when she seven.

The woman said her mother didn’t believe her allegations.

That feeling of rejection likely affected her ability to form relationships with others as an adult, Dr. Treena Wilkie said Tuesday in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines.

The woman also claimed she was sexually assaulted by a 17- year- old male and that her mother again didn’t believe her.

Wilkie, who spoke with the woman for nine hours over multiple visits to the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, testified earlier the defendant’s risk for sexual recidivism is “low to moderate” and recommended an intensive risk management and monitoring plan be put in place before she is released into the community.

The woman also told the doctor she is sexually aroused by her daughters, but not by other children.

Despite that claim, Wilkie recommended the woman have no contact with any children under the age of 16.

Court heard the defendant has no meaningful job history and survived on social assistance. She told the doctor she “didn’t want the responsibility” of employment.

She also told Wilkie the only skill she could include on her resume would be “having sex.”

The woman said she began having sex with older men when she was 14 in exchange for money and food. As an adult, she would only date men she thought would be a financial benefit to her.

At the end of her assessment, Wilkie diagnosed the woman with having a borderline personality disorder, substance abuse disorder and paraphilic disorder.

She told defence lawyer Michael Peterson the woman has “distorted cognition” in regards to her sexual behaviour.

At times, the woman minimized the impact of her behaviour and said her four- year- old would often initiate sexual interaction.

While she would encourage the child to watch pornographic videos, the woman said she would often leave the room as it made her uncomfortable.

The defendant was one of six people arrested on more than 75 charges in August 2016 following a nine- month investigation by 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.

The hearing continues today before Judge Ronald Watson.