Father escapes prison sentence after sexually abusing his young daughter in a Merritt hotel room

By Tim Petruk/Castanet

A man who sexually abused his nine-year-old daughter in a Merritt hotel room over seven years ago, tearing apart his large family, has escaped a prison sentence.

The 50-year-old man cannot be identified due to a court-ordered publication ban protecting the victim’s identity. He was sentenced in a Kamloops courtroom on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to sexual abuse of a person under the age of 16.

The crime occurred on January 14, 2017, when the man and his family were visiting Merritt from out of state for a funeral.

Prosecutor Alexandra Janse said the man returned to his hotel room after a night of drinking and went to bed with his nine-year-old daughter.

He began to sexually touch her under her clothes. The touching lasted for 10 minutes before the girl got up.

“She told the defendant she would call the police,” Janse said. “He begged her not to do it and not to tell anyone. He promised never to drink again.”

The victim remained silent for five years and did not report the incident to the Mounties until 2022. Janse said the girl was afraid of what might happen if police were called.

“She was afraid that if her father was arrested, her family would lose their main breadwinner and be left in poverty,” she said.

The court heard that the man cannot remember the incident because he had consumed alcohol.

Daughter emotionally scarred

The charges have turned the man’s family life upside down. He is no longer with his wife and some of their six children no longer speak to him.

Janse said the victim is still suffering from the effects of the abuse.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with him. That has had a big impact on her,” she said.

“She suffers from depression, anxiety and alcohol abuse. She is undergoing therapy which helps her, but the whole thing is having a significant impact on all family members.”

The man had a cruel childhood, which was brought to light. He apologized in court.

“I realize this is a very serious situation. Everything that happened was because I was drinking,” he said.

“I don’t want to lose anything more – I’ve already lost my children and my family. I deeply regret what happened, the things I did while I was drunk. I’m deeply sorry.”

British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Dennis Hori joined a joint request for a suspended sentence – often referred to as house arrest – of two years less one day, followed by 12 months probation.

During house arrest, the man is not allowed to drink alcohol or have contact with the victim or anyone under the age of 16. He is also not allowed to work or take on a voluntary role that would require him to exercise authority over children.

Similar conditions apply to him for the duration of his probation.

The man was also ordered to submit a DNA sample to a national crime database and to register as a sex offender for the next twenty years.