Photo: File photo

A Kelowna man was sentenced for molesting his young daughter over a four-year period.

UPDATE: 12:45 p.m

The mother of a young girl who was molested by her father has taken issue with the judge's characterization that she doesn't think her daughter has suffered ill effects from her father's abuse. 

The woman, whose identity is protected to protect her daughter's identity, says the judge never spoke with her directly, and only inferred this from her comments in the father's psychological report that her daughter hadn't experienced nightmares or anxiety attacks. 

"Of course there's ill effects, she and I talk about it at length all the time," the young girl's mother said. "It's not fine, but I work really hard with her and with all of my children to get them through this. I certainly don't think that any of them are coming out of it easily.

"She is an extraordinary woman, she is very well-rounded, and very driven. She's this super-duper straight-A student ... She's determined not to be defeated, she knows what she's up against."

ORIGINAL: 5 a.m.

A man who spent four years molesting his daughter was sentenced in a Kelowna court room to five years in jail last week. 

The man, whose name is protected under a publication ban to protect the identity of the victim, began sexually assaulting his daughter in 2012, when she was just six years old. 

The years of abuse involved sexual touching and forcing her to perform oral sex on him. It continued in Kelowna and West Kelowna until 2016. 

The 32-year-old man has three sons with his wife, in addition to his daughter.

In 2015, he separated from his wife and moved into his own basement suite, where his daughter would stay with him with her brothers. She would sleep in her father's bed when she stayed over. 

Eventually, the young girl told her mom she didn't want to continue to go to her father's house, and explained why.

The mother confronted the man and he responded angrily, threatening to kill himself.

Police were called, and they found him later that day, in his vehicle with a suicide note in which he said goodbye to his children.

He was arrested and later released on bail, on a condition to not have any device that could access the Internet. On Aug. 15, 2017, he was found in his vehicle with a cell phone and was arrested. He has remained in custody until his sentencing last week.

While the judge said the victim's mother said her daughter has not shown any ill effects because of the abuse, the daughter's victim impact statement told otherwise.

“Clearly she is struggling with the shame and stigma of what occurred, and the conflicting emotions of her love for her father and anger for what he did,” Justice Greg Koturbash wrote in his decision. “Despite her tender years, (she) expresses concerns that she may find it difficult forming loving and caring relationships with other adults as she grows older, and wonders whether anyone will ever be capable of loving her.”

A psychological assessment found the man had limited insight into his crime, describing it as an “inappropriate expression of love.”

“He minimized the harm by reiterating that he always had his daughter’s permission, and that she liked it,” wrote Justice Koturbash. “He pointed out that although he informed his daughter that what they were doing was wrong, that he would go to jail and the family would be ripped apart if someone found out, she continued to approve of the wrongful behaviour.”

He told the reporting psychologist that he does not belong in jail. The psychologist says his risk of recidivism is high.

The man was convicted of touching for a sexual purpose, and handed a sentence of five years, minus enhanced credit of 158 days of presentence custody.