Ex-‘Degrassi’ actor gets over 7 years in prison
Jason (Byrd) Dickens, a former “Degrassi High” actor, was sentenced to 7⁄ years in prison 1
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Tuesday for charges including possessing and recording child pornography.
That sentence amounted to time served for Dickens, who was arrested in 2016 and pleaded guilty in 2018. He was in custody until being released on bail in early 2020.
Ontario Court Justice Steven Clark denied the Crown’s application to have Dickens designated a long-term offender, which would have placed him under community supervision by correctional services for up to 10 years. Clark found, based on evidence from two forensic psychiatrists, that Dickens does not post a “substantial risk” for re-offending, that he has co-operated with sex offender treatment and court orders, and that he is motivated to change.
Often, a long-term offender supervision order is used to closely control and monitor an offender’s transition back into the community — with the ability to return them to custody if they breach release conditions — but, in this case, Dickens has already “partially but meaningfully” made that transition, Clark added.
There are also sufficient “relapse prevention strategies” in place, he said.
Clark instead imposed the maximum probation period of three years on Dickens, with a requirement that he attended any treatment ordered by his probation officer. Clark also imposed restrictions on his use of the internet and contact with any child under the age of 16 for the next 10 years.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Dickens admitted to taking photographs of himself having sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl, facilitated by the girl’s mother, in 2003. He also admitted to filming his wife sexually abusing a child under the age of two. In 2016, police searched his home and found a “massive collection” of child pornography, as well as his discussions with others online about child sexual abuse. In his ruling, Clark described the collection as some of “worst material” possible and stressed the lifelong harm done to the child victims.
Dickens was also previously convicted of sexual assaults that took place in 1989 and 1991.
In Clark’s ruling Tuesday, he noted Dickens has been diagnosed with paedophilia but that he has and continues to undergo treatment, and had shown sincere remorse and insight into his crimes.
One of his victim’s, whose identity is covered by a publication ban, said the case shows how important child sexual abuse imagery detection software is and why it should be widely used.
“Dickens may never have been caught if this technology did not exist. Justice and freedom for myself and the other victims might have never came about for these crimes,” she said.
Dickens played the role of Scott Smith, an abusive ex-boyfriend, in 10 episodes of “Degrassi High” between 1989 and 1991 and subsequently worked in film crews until his arrest in 2016.