Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Dad pleads guilty to sexual abuse, child porn involving 7-year-old daughter (Edmonton, Canada)


UNNAMED DAD

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Father+pleads+guilty+first+numerous+charges/6474614/story.html

Father pleads guilty to first of numerous sex charges

By Ryan Cormier, edmontonjournal.com April 17, 2012
 
EDMONTON - A father has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his seven-year-old daughter in a case that began with sexual images found on a computer in Italy and ended in an Edmonton family home.

The 38-year-old, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, pleaded guilty in provincial court on Tuesday to unlawful sexual touching of a person under 16.

Family members in the court gallery cried as the man was led into court in prison-blue overalls.

Court heard that images were found showing the man performing sexual acts on his young daughter in various rooms of the family home, said Crown prosecutor Diane Hollinshead

Investigators in Italy found the images on a computer during a child pornography investigation. Believing the images had come from an Edmonton address, police contacted investigators with the Internet child exploitation unit of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team on Sept. 23, 2011.

Police went to the Edmonton home and found a mother and her three children, investigators said at the time. The middle child was identified as the victim in the images.

The father was arrested that day when he returned home, police said.

“For us, it’s very rare that we have an opportunity to not only potentially rescue a child, but to identify and potentially stop someone from producing child pornography,” Det. Kevin Fald said when the charges were announced on Sept. 27, 2011.

Police executed a search warrant at the home and seized computers and electronic storage devices.

The father faces numerous other charges, including sexual assault, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and incest. Those charges are scheduled to be addressed on May 1.
Hollinshead told court she will be seek a “double-digit sentence.”