Editor's note: This story contains information of a graphic sexual nature that some may find disturbing or offensive. However, Sudbury.com felt it was important to include these details so readers can understand the full magnitude of the crimes for which Paul McColeman has been found guilty.
Saying he ran a “grooming and luring” operation, Ontario Superior Court Justice Patricia Hennessey found Paul McColeman guilty of all charges Thursday in the conclusion of a sensational sex crimes case.
McColeman, 45, is guilty of 34 charges, including luring children, sexual exploitation and indecent exposure involving 15 male minors from 2006 to late June 2014 in Espanola.
His trial began in March and lasted 23 days. He'll be back in court July 14, when the Crown may move to have him declared a dangerous offender and when a date for sentencing will be set.
Hennessey took several hours to outline the reasons for her decision. Ultimately, she found testimony by the victims to be believable, while rejecting McColeman's explanation for why he was around underage boys, allowing them to drink and smoke pot, and giving them money.
McColeman targeted boys ages 11-13 who came from difficult backgrounds. Usually the father was not present or was violent, and the mother was either having her own difficulties or was convinced that McColeman was a positive father figure in their son's lives.
None of the victims can be named, and no information that may identify them can be included in any story.
The approach McColeman took in grooming his victims was consistent. He set up a fake Facebook account under different names, mainly using one called Trebor Boucher. He would send friend requests to the victims, and then send them messages “daring” them to do something in exchange for pot, booze or money.
At first, the dares were to witness McColeman masturbating in the shower, and escalated from there to such things as masturbating into a bottle so McColeman could drink it and putting their penis in a “glory hole” to receive oral sex.
The encounters sometimes took place on a trail, where the victim would whistle upon their arrival, then would hear a clap in response. They would go toward the person clapping, who was dressed in dark clothing with a hood, and that person would perform fellatio on them.
In some cases, McColeman would have his victims solicit their friends to take part in the “pranks, dares and missions” as he referred to them. Some already were drinking, smoking pot and missing school when he met them.
He would also take them fishing and for quad rides.
“He became a father figure to at least two of the boys,” Hennessey said, and he embedded themselves in their lives. “But it was inevitable that word would get around in a small town.”
While some of the victims offered different testimony at trial than during the preliminary hearing, Hennessey said it was consistent with young victims of trauma who want to minimize what happened to them and fear anyone finding out that they had sex with a man.
In fact, police had to seek out victims, who were at first reluctant to talk because they believed McColeman loved them or they felt profound and embarrassment and shame.
“He had no interest in getting (McColeman) in trouble,” Hennessey said of one victim. “He was 14 and didn't want McColeman to be jailed. McColeman told him that was what fathers and sons do.
“And (the victim) did not want everyone in the small town calling him 'queer.' ”
The defence argued the testimony of the complainants was too inconsistent to be believed. And they argued that McColeman could not be linked to the Trebor Boucher account.
They pointed to cases when messages were sent from the account that could not have been from McColeman. While most examples were unconvincing, there were seven messages sent from the account while McColeman was in custody.
However, Hennessey said they were the only messages sent that weren't linked to an IP address at McColeman's home. They were sent from an unsecured Wi-Fi in Espanola and were likely sent by supporters of McColeman.
Even if you don't accept that explanation, the judge said the defence still had no reasonable explanation for the hundreds of other messages linked to McColeman's IP address from Trebor Boucher.
And after he was arrested, McColeman sent a message to one of the victims, tempting him with a snow machine if he “kept his mouth shut.”
“When I consider all the the evidence, I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that McColeman was behind the account,” Hennessey said.
Police were alerted by one of the boys who accepted the Trebor Boucher friend request and received the standard “dare” message. The victim unfriended him and contacted police.
Unfortunately, after police interviewed McColeman for the first time, a week passed before warrants were issued and charges were laid, giving him time to erase information before his computer and cellphone were seized, the judge said.
McColeman also sent friend requests and “dares” under an MSN account – Hyperchick – where the profile pic was of a teen girl between ages 16 and 18.
“The purpose was to communicate with boys to entice them to sexual activities,” Hennessey said. “Dares started with voyeurism and escalated from there.”
It was also beyond reasonable belief that McColeman would be hanging around young boys, giving them money out of the kindness of his heart when he was in serious financial difficulty.
“He would have court believe that he was Mother Theresa, giving away booze, drugs and money and expecting nothing in return,” Hennessey said.
McColeman showed no emotion when the judge found him guilty. Hennessey revoked his bail and he stood quietly as police placed him in handcuffs and led him away, his mother and sister watching silently from the front row.
His family has been active in defending him, setting up a Facebook page criticizing the media and the court system. A post Thursday acknowledged he would be found guilty.
“Despite the outcome....I also want you to know, firstly....that we will never stop fighting to clear Paul's name,” the post read. “And secondly, because of the huge awareness this has given us....we will continue to fight for justice, work to better the legal system, join forces with other teams, share stories and offer support to those individuals and families who are also facing situations like these.”
