Latest news with #sexualinterference
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Former top doctor convicted of child molestation granted full parole
A former medical health officer in B.C. and Alberta, who was convicted of sexual interference with a young boy, has been granted full parole less than two years into his sentence, CTV News has learned. Albert De Villiers, now 56, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in June of 2023 after being found guilty of the crime in February. The victim, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, testified the doctor showed him pornography and touched him sexually on several occasions. The child was seven years old when the abuse began at De Villiers' home in Grande Prairie, Alta., where he was employed as a public health doctor for the province's northern region. De Villiers and the boy's parents were close family friends. At the time of his arrest in 2021, De Villiers was the chief medical health officer for B.C.'s Interior Health authority. 'At sentencing, the aggravating factors noted were the young age of the victim, the significant harm that was reported by the victim and his parents to have occurred, you were in a position of trust, the duration and frequency of sexual contact, that grooming behaviour occurred, and the high degree of sexual interference that took place during the sexual contact,' reads a Parole Board of Canada decision obtained by CTV News. De Villiers was assessed as a 'minimum-security offender' during his time in prison and was granted day parole in October of 2024 after 16 months behind bars. He lived at a halfway house and the parole board noted 'there have been no reported concerns' and De Villiers was 'highly motivated and engaged with (his) case management team.' While on day parole, De Villiers spent 'numerous' weekends away from the facility with his family and started working with his wife on an online business, according to the board. He applied for full parole earlier this year, and it was granted on April 15, the date his day parole expired. In coming to that decision, the parole board noted that De Villiers completed a number of sex offender programs while in custody and day parole, and was assessed as stable mental health and a generally low risk to re-offend. 'The board does not lose sight of the nature or gravity of the index offence where you committed sexual offences against an underage male victim over a period of time resulting in serious harm,' the decision reads. 'You did not consider the consequences of your actions and focused only on your own sexual gratification. The impacts on the victim and your betrayal of trust and authority on him and his family can not be overstated.' Nonetheless, the board ruled De Villiers 'utilized (his) time during (his) sentence and on day parole as it was intended' and has a high potential for reintegration. 'You have demonstrated stability, and your full parole plan is realistic and presents a strong continuum of care for your future,' the board wrote. 'You have the support of your immediate and extended family, of close friends, and a faith community. You are financially stable with employment and plans for your future.' Conditions of De Villiers' parole include an order to have no contact with the victim, the victim's family members, or any male under the age of 16. In addition, he is prohibited from being in an area children are likely to be such as schools and playgrounds, unless with a pre-approved 'responsible adult' aware of his criminal history. De Villiers is allowed to have only one phone and SIM card and must give all bills and records to his parole supervisor, who is allowed to search his texts and camera roll upon request. He is also barred from accessing any pornography or sexually explicit material.
CBC
23-05-2025
- CBC
Man sentenced to 3 years for sexually abusing Island girl for months
Social Sharing WARNING: This story contains descriptions of child sex abuse. Resources and supports for anyone who has experienced sexual violence can be found at the bottom of this story. A man who had been living on Prince Edward Island has been sentenced to three years in jail for sexually touching a child while he lived here. Steven Douglas Arsenault, 40, had originally pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from his sexual abuse of the girl. His first trial date in March was rescheduled to April, and then he changed one of his pleas on the day the trial was set to go ahead. Arsenault pleaded guilty to a sexual interference charge, and the Crown stayed two other charges: sexual assault and invitation to sexual touching. CBC News is withholding details including the timing, location and circumstances of the crime in order to protect the identity of the victim, who was under the age of 12. During his sentencing in Charlottetown on May 5, Arsenault appeared by video from the provincial jail as the court heard how he had abused the girl over the course of five months. Gifts and other grooming behaviour Court documents show Arsenault first sexually touched the victim when she had been left in his care, which wasn't a normal arrangement. But after that, "the sexual touching happened almost every day in similar fashion," Crown prosecutor Chee Ng told the courtroom. "The accused would make her sit on his lap and would touch, as [the victim] describes it, her 'boobs,' 'vagina' and 'butt.'" On at least one occasion, Arsenault made the child touch his penis over his clothes. He would also buy things for her, including candy, toys and teddy bears. After he bought them, he would say that she had to 'do stuff for him.' He would also tell her that she 'owes him' for the gifts. "After he bought them, he would say that she had to 'do stuff for him.' He would also tell her that she 'owes him' for the gifts," the documents read. The Alberta Child Advocacy Centres organization describes this gift-giving behaviour as a step in the grooming process. That's when an offender slowly builds the trust of a child, and often their parents, in order to be given access to the child and opportunities for abuse. The organization describes finding reasons to be alone with the child as part of that pattern — and that's something Arsenault did, according to the court documents presented in Charlottetown. The sexual abuse went on until Arsenault left the Island to resume his job as a carnival worker in Ontario. Months later, the girl told a social worker and police what Arsenault had done to her. He was then arrested in Ontario by police there. Detectives from Charlottetown flew up to get him and bring him back to P.E.I. "Charlottetown Police take allegations of sexual assault, touching or interference very seriously. This file was investigated by members of our Major Crime Unit," Deputy Chief Sean Coombs told CBC News in an email. "We are pleased with the outcome of the investigation and the guilty plea which was subsequently entered into court." Sentencing called 'fit and proper' Arsenault has been in jail on P.E.I. since September 2024. His legal aid lawyer has said he doesn't have strong ties to the Island or a support system here. "We have crafted a sentence that we think is fitting," Chris van Ouwerkerk told provincial court Chief Judge Jeff Lantz during the sentencing. The Crown also called the joint recommendation of three years "fit and proper." When given the chance to speak, Arsenault apologized. "I have every intention of bettering myself in every way possible," he said. The victim's mother submitted an impact statement that was not read in court, but was summarized by Lantz. "[The crime] has had a profound effect on both individuals," Lantz said of the victim and her mother. The court heard the girl is not the same as she was before the abuse. Her trust in men has been "shattered" and she is afraid just living in her community. Girl commended for exposing Arsenault Lantz accepted the joint recommendation from Ng and Van Ouwerkerk, noting that Arsenault's betrayal of the victim's trust and the prolonged period of abuse are aggravating, while Arsenault changing his plea and saving the victim from facing him in a trial is to his credit. "The victim indicated she didn't want this to happen to anyone else," Lantz said. "The victim is commended for her actions in coming out and exposing the accused." Arsenault was given 375 days of credit for the 250 days he already served in jail, so Lantz sentenced him to two years less a day of jail time for his remaining sentence. That means he can serve his sentence on P.E.I. and stay in the custody of provincial corrections without being transferred to the federal system. It also means Lantz could set the length and terms of Arsenault's probation after he is released: three years, and he has to stay away from the girl and her mother. Arsenault will be registered as a sex offender for 20 years, and he'll have to provide a sample of his DNA to a national database. He'll also have to stay away from places where people under the age of 16 might be expected to gather, such as public parks, swimming areas, schools, playgrounds and community centres.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Former B.C. health officer convicted of child sexual abuse relinquishes licence for life
A former Kelowna health official currently serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for sexual interference with a young boy has agreed to permanently terminate his physicians' licence, the regulatory body says. Albert Stefanus De Villiers entered a consent agreement with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. on May 2, a summary of which was released to the public Tuesday. The college says De Villiers voluntarily surrendered his licence and agreed to not re-apply for registration to practise medicine in B.C., or any other jurisdiction, ever. The doctor was found guilty of sexual interference on Feb. 7, 2023, in Alberta court. A second charge of sexual assault was stayed, according to the college. De Villiers' crimes took place between 2018 and 2020 while he was employed as the top public health doctor in northern Alberta. His victim was seven years old when the abuse began. The boy testified De Villiers showed him pornography and touched him several times at the doctor's home in Grand Prairie. At the time of his arrest in 2021, De Villiers was the chief medical officer of health for B.C.'s Interior Health authority. The regulatory body says De Villiers' 'irrevocable commitment' to resign from the college is effective back to March 1, 2023. The college says it considered the judge's written reasons and his conviction of an indictable offence when deciding its own penalty against De Villiers, in addition to the court-imposed prison sentence. 'The inquiry committee concluded that Dr. De Villiers's conduct was egregious and determined that his irrevocable commitment to resign as a registrant of CPSBC and to never reapply for registration in British Columbia or any other jurisdictions was appropriate in the circumstances,' the decision reads. With files from The Canadian Press
CBC
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
P.E.I. child and youth advocate questions inquiry into PSB's handling of Craswell case
Social Sharing Prince Edward Island's child and youth advocate is raising concerns about an upcoming review of school policies in the wake of a former substitute teacher's sex crimes case. The Progressive Conservative government ordered the third-party inquiry of Public Schools Branch policies and procedures spurred by the case of Matthew Alan Craswell. Craswell, 40, pleaded guilty last month to one count of sexual interference over the way in which he touched a young female student while teaching at Stratford's Glen Stewart Primary School during a classroom game in April 2024. Marvin Bernstein, the province's independent child and youth advocate, said it's "lamentable" that officials with the province's Education Department didn't reach out to his office directly after the case came to light. "A preferable course of action would have been early, proactive and direct communication with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate by the Department of Education and Early Years and the Public Schools Branch, particularly with respect to the advocate's statutory role of oversight of public bodies providing reviewable services to children and youth," Bernstein wrote in a letter released to the public Friday morning. He also noted that "constructive discussions" have since taken place between his office and provincial staff. Many questions were raised during the spring sitting of the P.E.I. Legislature after CBC News reported on Craswell's guilty plea on the sexual interference charge, as well as on three unrelated child pornography charges. Some questions from the opposition parties involved the fact that education officials did not notify either police or Child Protection Services officials about the complaints that Craswell had allegedly touched children inappropriately on two reported occasions. Allegations of similar behaviour at Charlottetown's West Kent Elementary School in 2023 eventually came to light during the police investigation. PSB officials also allowed Craswell to keep teaching at the high school level following the Stratford primary school investigation. Those facts led opposition MLAs to quiz the government over school officials' duty to report, a provision of the province's Child, Youth and Family Services Act that outlines the legal obligation for anyone to report a suspected case of child abuse to authorities as soon as possible. In his letter, Bernstein wrote that he was "troubled by the pervasive lack of understanding" around the duty to report, saying the province's focus should not be on providing school staff with more training on how to investigate complaints of misconduct. Instead, he said they may need retraining on their mandatory obligation to report incidents to the proper authorities, who would then investigate. "The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is deeply concerned with the perception that the private verification of protection concerns on the part of educators and other staff working in schools is required or precludes mandatory reporting to Child Protection Services or to the police," he wrote. Questions around review's independence The facts revealed in court as Craswell pleaded guilty led P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz to rise in the legislature to apologize to Island parents. The province later named P.E.I.'s former chief justice, David Jenkins, to head the third-party review of the Public Schools Branch and its practices. That process is set to begin June 2. Bernstein indicated in the letter that his office may also choose to conduct its own investigation that "would be systemic in nature, reaching conceptually and temporally beyond the specific case at hand and exercising the advocate's statutory power to compel information across government departments." While saying he holds Jenkins's career and reputation "in high esteem," the child and youth advocate raised concerns about the independence of the provincial review. "It must be noted that such a review, although conducted by a third party, remains government-directed, with the Department of Education and Early Years and Public Schools Branch controlling the terms of reference, compensation to the reviewer, and ultimately, the decision as to what content is publicly released and how this is done," Bernstein wrote. "In addition, a third-party review, in and by itself, does not provide the public with any assurance that there will be a mechanism for objectively monitoring and publicly reporting on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the third-party report." Premier welcomes involvement Asked on Thursday to respond to what Bernstein's embargoed news release said, Lantz said he welcomes an additional investigation conducted by the child and youth advocate, saying the matter needs "all the eyes that we can get." Island students continue to attend school every day, with no immediate actions taken to ensure... that schools are safer places today than they were before. "[Bernstein's] office is an independent office, and we can't direct him to undertake investigations. He actually has the independent authority to undertake an investigation of any kind that he sees fit to do," the premier told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin. "In his letter, he's outlined that he may in fact do that, and I would encourage him." Lantz added that Jenkins will have broad and independent authority to conduct his review, and has the same powers to compel witnesses and documents as the child and youth advocate would have. WATCH | What Premier Rob Lantz had to say on the latest Matthew Craswell developments: What Premier Rob Lantz had to say on the latest Matthew Craswell developments 12 hours ago Duration 0:56 P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz says there are questions he's hoping a third-party review into the Matthew Craswell case will answer. The former substitute teacher pleaded guilty to sexual touching of a female student at Glen Stewart Primary School during a classroom game in 2024. Lantz says the Public Schools Branch will turn over timelines and documentation as part of the review process. Student rights 'cannot be placed on hold' Bernstein said he will review Jenkins's report once it's released, then will hold a public town hall meeting to get feedback on whether an independent investigation by the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is needed. Meanwhile, Bernstein criticized the province for deferring any such public meetings to address the safety of children in Island schools until after the Jenkins review is complete. He said the rights of students "cannot be placed on hold while the third-party review is taking place out of a sense of convenience or for the avoidance of accountability... "The reality is that Island students continue to attend school every day, with no immediate actions taken to ensure ... that schools are safer places today than they were before recent information entered the public discourse," he said in the news release.
CTV News
21-05-2025
- CTV News
Sask. man sentenced to 17 years in prison for historical child sex crimes involving daycares
An Assiniboia, Sask. man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for 10 charges related to historical sex crimes involving children at Saskatchewan daycares. Richard Dyke, 48, pleaded guilty earlier this month to three counts of sexual interference, six counts of creating child pornography and one count of publishing an intimate image without consent, according to court documents. Dyke was sentenced for those charges inside a Moose Jaw court room on Wednesday. All other charges against Dyke have been stayed by the court. The 17-year sentence was a joint submission from the Crown and defence. Due to the ages of Dyke's victims, a publication ban imposed by the court is in effect. As a result, details including how Dyke came into contact with his victims have been withheld. Saskatchewan RCMP initially charged Dyke in the fall of 2023 with more than a dozen counts related to alleged child sexual abuse at a home daycare operating out of Dyke's residence in Assiniboia. At that time, police identified the victims as three boys under the age of 12. However, 33 victims in total have been identified since, 32 of which were children as young as 18 months old and up to 17 years of age. In May 2024, 60 more charges were laid against Dyke which included historical sexual assaults, sexual interference, voyeurism and making child pornography. The offences spanned over the course of two decades, dating as far back as 2005. In addition to the home daycare operating out of Dyke's residence in Assiniboia, he also attended additional daycares in Coronach, Swift Current and Assiniboia. The communities of Tisdale, Estevan and Gravelbourg were also said to be affected, according to RCMP. In May 2024, RCMP Chief Superintendent Ted Munro said that investigators had analyzed 1.5 million pieces of digital evidence believed to be related to the crimes. -More to come…. -With files from David Prisciak, Sierra D'Souza Butts, Angela Stewart and Donovan Maess
