Penticton

A Penticton man found guilty of sexually assaulting and pimping out his teenage stepdaughter wants to appear by video for his sentencing.

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Penticton man requests video appearance for sentencing

James Pennington, the defence lawyer for the man, said his client made the request to appear by video for the balance of the proceedings because of security concerns at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre.

"I realize this is out of the ordinary, but he is in 23-hour lockup, and his life has been threatened," he said Monday in a Penticton court room. "And with transport there isn't any means to safeguard."

Tracey Biro, staff sergeant with the Penticton Sheriff Department, said the department was also requesting the man, who cannot be named because of a publication ban, come in to the courtroom via video.

"He has been very uncooperative with the sheriff's and correctional officers and seems to have a huge issue with authority figures," he said. "So we are obligated to ask for this."

In response, crown counsel Wendy Kavanagh said the man should be in a court room for the sentencing because it could take a half day, which would be a long time for him to appear by video.

She further suggested the court entertain the idea of doing the sentencing in Kelowna, where there is more security.

"This is a very serious matter and he should be here," she said.

A second application regarding receiving KRCC records on the case and medical records from Interior Health was also made before Judge Gregory Koturbash.

Koturbash said he would make a decision on the video, when more information is available about the records.

The accused was found guilty of charges including sexual assault, sexual interference of a person under 14 and living on the avails of prostitution of a person under age 18 in August.

During the trial which began in May and continued over to August, the girl claimed the sexual abuse began in Osoyoos, around 2006, and continued in Okanagan Falls and Penticton.

The prostitution started when the family, including the girl's mother, was living in Surrey and escalated when the family moved back to Penticton.

According to several witnesses, the girl worked as a prostitute while her stepfather acted as her pimp at the Soupateria in Penticton.

Other family friends and relatives backed up the girl's claims of sexual assault and prostitution during the trial.

On the day he was found guilty, the accused shouted out "surprise, surprise," and asked if he had to come back to this place.

A sentencing date has not yet been set.