Ex-fighter gets 41/2 years for sex assaults on youth
‘He took advantage of a 12-to-13-yearold girl,’ judge says during sentencing
A former Edmonton mixed martial arts fighter found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 12-yearold girl was put behind bars Friday.
Bobby “Animal” Kalmakoff, 40, was handed a 41/2-year prison sentence, after earlier being convicted of sexual interference, sexual assault and invitation to sexual touching.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Donald Lee ruled Kalmakoff had committed a “massive” number of sexual violations against the victim for “his own sexual gratification” over a one-year period.
“He took advantage of a 12-to13-year-old girl,” said Lee, adding that a six-year sentence would have been appropriate, but he reduced it as a result of Kalmakoff’s “significant” limited intellectual functioning and his tragic childhood.
Kalmakoff, who cried in court when details were read out of his father abusing him and his sister when they were children , told the judge he plans to appeal both his convictions and the sentence.
“I still think I am innocent,” Kalmakoff said.
The former heavyweight MMA fighter, who had three wins and 14 losses in his career, and last fought in 2013, was convicted April 14 following a trial.
Lee ruled at the time that Kalmakoff had sexually assaulted the young victim 24 or 25 times, either in the back of his vehicle in a parkade or in one of his apartments, and invited her to sexually touch him on five occasions between November 2011 and July 2012.
Crown prosecutor Veronica Alexander had sought a sentence of eight to 10 years, arguing Kalmakoff had sexually assaulted the “vulnerable” victim on multiple occasions, causing her “significant psychological and emotional harm.”
Alexander said Kalmakoff had sent the girl a picture of his penis and demanded she send him a nude picture of herself, and told her not to tell anyone about their sexual relationship as he would get in trouble and be sent to jail.
Defence lawyer Naeem Rauf disputed whether the victim was vulnerable, noting the girl had sent “filthy” and “disgusting” sex-related texts to Kalmakoff.
Rauf also argued that Kalmakoff’s moral culpability was “significantly” lowered as a result of forensic testing showing that his intellectual level is in the third percentile and suggested a sentence of six months in jail, after credit for time spent in pre-trial custody, followed by two years of probation.
He also spoke of Kalmakoff maintaining his innocence.
“The position of Mr. Kalmakoff at trial and he maintains it now is that he never had sexual intercourse with the complainant or committed the other offences,” Rauf said.
After getting 18 months credit for pre-trial custody time as being under strict bail conditions, Kalmakoff has three years left to serve.