Child molester gets light sentence

JOHN THOMPSON

A man convicted of molesting young girls received a light sentence in the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit on Friday, March 23, due to a prompt guilty plea.

Paul Aoudla, 42, of Iqaluit will spend 12 months in prison for sexual interference against two girls, aged seven and 10.

That sentence is “at the low end,” considering a maximum sentence for the two charges would add up to three years in prison, Justice Robert Kilpatrick said during the sentencing.

But the judge gave Aoudla credit for cooperating with police, promptly entering a guilty plea, and sparing his victims the trauma of appearing in court to testify.

One incident occurred several weeks ago, when Aoudla placed his finger in the vagina of a seven-year-old girl for several minutes. This had occurred several times earlier, the court heard.

The other incident involved a 10-year-old girl, who Aoudla “fondled in a sexual manner, in the area of her private parts,” the judge said.

Aoudla touched both girls while visiting the home of a cousin.

These crimes betrayed the trust of Aoudla’s friend, Kilpatrick said, and took advantage of young girls who were unable to defend themselves.

And both girls may be traumatized for many years from what Aoudla did, the judge said, although no victim impact statements had been collected from the girls for the trial.

“The risk of causing serious psychological harm is very real,” Kilpatrick said.

As well, Aoudla has a history of similar crimes.

In 1992, Aoudla was convicted of a similar offence involving an 11-year-old child, Kilpatrick said.

That suggests Aoudla has “deeper psychological problems,” Kilpatrick said.

“Get some help, sir. You need it.”

Aoudla’s sentence will be followed by 18 months of probation. Terms of his release require him to keep the peace, regularly report to a probation officer, and undergo psychological assessment for sexual offenders.

He is also to take and complete any programming for sex offenders, as requested by a probation officer.

And he is to stay away from the two victims and any other children younger than 14 years of age who are not accompanied by an adult.

For the next 10 years, Aoudla may not seek employment that places him in a position of authority over children under the age of 14. Similarly, he may not contact children using a computer over that period of time.

Aoudla’s sentence takes into account three months time served.