Pentecostal Man Sentenced for Sex with Child

It was too little, too late for a Sussex man when he confessed he sexually assaulted a young girl over a three-year-period in what Judge Henrik Tonning referred to as "abhorrent" ways.

While details of the assaults are protected under a publication ban so as not to divulge the identity of the victim, there was no sexual intercourse involved in the crime and there was no "overt" sexual gratification for the convicted man, Tonning said.

John William Shay, however, was repeatedly inappropriate in his actions and comments toward his victim and compromised her sexual integrity.

Shay's admission on the "eve of his sentencing," Tonning said Thursday, did little to prove remorse. Shay was convicted of the sex crime last month after a trial.

Defence lawyer Al Levine called for house arrest for his client, but Tonning said Shay's behaviour must be deterred. He sentenced him to nine months in provincial jail, as requested by Crown prosecutor Kelly Winchester.

Winchester said the case is aggravated by the reality that Shay, a 46-year-old first-time offender, sexually assaulted a child when he was in a position of trust, and it was a repeat occurrence starting when the child was eight years old.

The court received a letter from Shay's supervisor with the natural gas pipeline who said there is work available for Shay in Alberta, as well as two letters from church leaders speaking of Shay's commitment to the Calvary Pentecostal Church in Sussex.

"Unfortunately, the majority of people who come to court for these types of offenses are the last people you expect to be here," Tonning said in reference to the strong Christian faith Shay claims. The judge said church-going people are no exception to the names that fill his docket.