By Keith Lacey
A Sudbury man found guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl, and then skipping town for two years, was sentenced to six months in jail Tuesday.
Steven Lashuk, 26, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault against a four-year-old girl following a trial held in December of 1999. Police say the incident between Lashuk and the girl took place on Feb. 5, 1999. A judge found Lashuk guilty of inappropriate sexual touching of the girl?s genital area.
The court has imposed a publication ban on information which could reveal the identity of Lashuk?s victim.
Lashuk was also found guilty of attempting to intimidate the girl?s mother by placing numerous harassing phone calls to her.
Court heard Lashuk was scheduled to be sentenced in early 2000, but skipped town and was working in Alberta until his arrest in late April. He was brought back to Sudbury and has remained in custody at the Sudbury District Jail since then.
With a large class of Grade 6 elementary students looking on, Justice Andre Guay explained to them how this case involved a serious breach of trust by an adult against a child and how a conditional sentence to be served in the community was not appropriate.
Defence counsel Chris Corbett had told the court how his client is a first-time offender who has not been in any trouble since this incident.
Lashuk left town simply ?out of fear? he would be sent to jail. He found a good job and has been a productive member of society since leaving for Western Canada, he said.
Lashuk is engaged to be married and is not a danger to reoffend. The 40 days he?s spent in custody have been very difficult as he?s never been in any trouble before, said Corbett.
A conditional sentence to be served in the community or intermittent sentence to be served on weekends would still punish his client, but allow him to return to work and become a productive member of society once again, he said.
Assisant Crown attorney Andrew Slater disagreed saying any sexual assault against a child, even for a first-time offender, calls out for a serious jail sentence.
The sentence must reflect society?s condemnation of such acts and deter others from committing similar acts, he said.
The fact Lashuk skipped town just before sentencing is also serious as the young girl and her mother have had to continue their lives without knowing what was going to happen to the accused, he said.
The sexual assault was a serious one and the community must be confident offenders who breach their position of trust against children will be punished, said Guay.
Guay told the court the mother?s victim impact statement makes it clear she?s suffered numerous repurcussions. often blaming herself for leaving her daughter alone with Lashuk the night in question.
She has difficulty eating and her daughter continues to suffer nightmares.
Victims of sexual assault, including young children, can suffer emotional scars for years, some for the rest of their lives, said the veteran judge.
