Ex-cadet instructor jailed, banned from Forces for sex assaults

A former deputy commander of a Victoria-based military cadet corps saluted a court martial judge Wednesday and promised to never again sexually abuse young people just moments after he was sentenced to 12 months in jail and banished from the Canadian Forces.

2nd Lt. Daniel Moriarity, 26, entered the military court as a captain, but Judge Lt.-Col. Louis-Vincent D’Auteuil demoted him to the lowest officer command ranking of second lieutenant, saying the once promising military reservist was being groomed as a commanding officer but had abused his power to fulfil his desires.

Moriarity was convicted of two charges of sexual exploitation and one charge each of sexual assault and sexual interference by a military court last October in connection with attacks on a 15-year-old boy at the Lt.-Gen. Ashton Armoury in Victoria and a 16-year-old girl at the Vernon, B.C., army cadet camp.

The court martial heard Moriarity met the girl when she was 13 years old at the Vernon cadet camp.

The relationship included sexual intercourse and numerous email and video exchanges.

The court martial heard Moriarity aggressively pursued a relationship with a male cadet at the Victoria armoury.

In a joint submission, military prosecutor Steve Richards and Moriarity’s defence lawyer Sarah Collins called for the 12-month sentence, rank de- motion and military expulsion.

Moments after D’Auteuil delivered his sentence, the defence submitted an application to release Moriarity pending an appeal.

Moriarity was subsequently released and granted 30 days to file an appeal.

D’Auteuil cited reports that found Moriarity a low-to-moderate risk to reoffend.

The sentence also means Moriarity will have to submit DNA samples for the National Sex Offender Registry.