Nunavut sex offender back in jail for breaching conditions

Justice Earl Johnson with the Nunavut Court of Justice has sentenced Tom Ituluk, a high-risk sexual offender, to a new jail term for breaching conditions that forbid him from consuming alcohol. (FILE PHOTO)

Tom Ituluk, a repeat sex offender whose abusive behaviour has been fuelled by binge drinking, will serve a new jail term for breaching conditions that forbid him from consuming alcohol.

“There is a high risk that the accused will reoffend with sexual violence because his history of sexual violence had escalated in frequency and severity over time and because he engaged in extreme minimization or denial of past sexual violence,” Justice Earl Johnson wrote in his decision on July 24.

“His historic criminal conduct occurred while he was so intoxicated by alcohol that he had blackouts. He did not complete programming while in the penitentiary and showed a lack of remorse for his victims.”

Ituluk, 32, grew up in Qikiqtarjuaq and Kimmirut and later moved to Iqaluit. His last incarceration was for raping a family member while drinking. He received a sentence of three years, seven months and 15 days in federal prison.

The complainant in that crime had requested Ituluk not be released in Iqaluit after serving his sentence. However, he was returned to Iqaluit after being released from prison in June 2017.

While in custody, although Ituluk did attend a four-week substance abuse program, he missed appointments for programming and showed a lack of remorse for his victims, according to Johnson’s sentencing decision.

A court-ordered risk assessment psychology report indicated that Ituluk had significant signs of substance dependence and that his history of sexual violence, which has escalated in frequency and severity, along with his minimizing and denial of his crimes, meant Ituluk would be at a high risk of re-offending.

His previous convictions include five sexual assaults, mischief under $5,000, failure to comply with an undertaking and assault on a police officer.

This past April 9, Ituluk was found intoxicated outside the home of a woman. He was arrested for causing a disturbance and was charged with breaching conditions by drinking alcohol.

Ituluk pleaded guilty on July 19 for breaching conditions of consuming alcohol. He had a similar breach in January.

An Iqaluit judge sentenced Ituluk to 240 days on July 24. Since he had 157.5 pre-sentence custody credit, he will spend another 83 days in jail.

R. v. Ituluk, 2018 NUCJ 21 by NunatsiaqNews on Scribd