Man jailed for sex offences against teen

A 25-year-old Niagara man convicted of sex offences involving a teenage girl will spend the next two years behind bars and will have his name on the national sex offender registry for life.

The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victim, was sentenced Friday in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on several charges including luring a child.

Court was told the man, described as having cognitive deficiencies, engaged in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16 on three occasions over the course of two days.

The victim contracted a sexually transmitted disease as a result of the sexual activity.

“Clearly, the victim here has suffered deeply,” said Judge Fergus O’Donnell. “Nothing I can do can make the victim whole.”

The judge noted the man’s guilty plea did spare the victim from having to testify in court.

In addition to the jail term, the defendant was placed on probation for three years.

He was also banned from attending anywhere a person under the age of 16 might be, such as public parks and swimming pools, unless under the direct supervision of an employee with Community Living Welland Pelham.

“Without supervision, he will offend again,” said assistant Crown attorney Pat Vadacchino.