Man who sexually abused children sent to jail indefinitely

WARNING: Contents may disturb some readers. BARRIE — An Ontario man who carried out increasingly violent sex crimes against children and animals, must be locked up indefinitely to protect the community, a judge ruled Wednesday in declaring him a dangerous offender.

From the age of 14 until his arrest three years ago at 22, Shayne Lund “was engaged in sexual predatory behaviour toward infants, young children, adolescents, older teens, women and animals,” Justice Joseph Kenkel said in his decision.

Lund, now 25, was “obsessed entirely with his own deviant sexual fantasies and adept at manipulating and controlling others to assist him in his gratification,” including two girlfriends he recruited to help him find children to sexually assault, the judge said.

“He’s been unable to restrain his behaviours and his conduct has become increasingly more dangerous over time,” said Kenkel. “His offences have resulted in severe psychological harm to his young and vulnerable victims.”

Though Lund has demonstrated some insight into his behaviour and had no criminal record prior to his arrest, his “history of manipulation and deceit” suggests he could not be relied on to continue treatment on his own, he said.

“There will never be a time when it will be safe to release Mr. Lund in the community” without extensive treatment, including medication to reduce his sex drive, and rigorous supervision to ensure he never comes into contact with anyone under 18 years old, he said.

Lund, who is the son of an Ontario Provincial Police constable, can apply for parole in four years. He must submit DNA to the national databank.

Lund’s lawyer had asked that his client face a prison sentence of eight to 10 years with a long-term supervision order on his release, arguing it would balance the need to protect the community with Lund’s “right to prove that he can rehabilitate.”

His incarceration, which included more than 400 days in segregation, “opened his eyes to the damage that he caused,” Eginhart Ehlers told the court.

Outside court, Ehlers said it was clear from the evidence that Lund is “a predator” who committed “heinous offences” against children, and that the community must be protected from that kind of behaviour.

“He started with accessing child pornography on the Internet ... and that’s how Mr. Lund started this process and then eventually lost control of himself,” he said.

Ehlers also questioned why Internet providers allow access to child pornography, saying it should “simply be banned.”

Lund pleaded guilty to 35 charges involving 14 victims, including sexually assaulting and conspiring to sexually assault children, bestiality, and making child pornography.

Court has heard Lund convinced his girlfriends, one of whom worked in early childhood education, to help him find and lure potential victims, some as young as two years old. Both women were sentenced as long-term offenders after pleading guilty to 11 charges.

Many of Lund’s offences were laid out in an “extensive record of text and other digital messages,” which sometimes included photos, the judge said.

Court heard details of his sex assaults on a four-year-old child and on a five-year-old girl who was swimming.

He also discussed a plan to have children with one of his girlfriends so that he could then have sex with those children, the court heard.

Lund first came to police’s attention in September 2013 when a 15-year-old girl told officers she’d had sex with the then-22-year-old.

He previously told the court that Lund must never have contact with anyone underage for the rest of his life and must take medication to curb his sex drive until his risk can be assessed at a much older age.