Charles Marks, who was convicted of inviting a 14-year-old girl into his home and having sex with her, was sentenced to five years in prison in High Court Tuesday.
In deciding the sentence, which is two years shy of the maximum penalty, Justice Albert Redhead said he took into account the fact that Mr. Marks had no previous convictions.
A nine-member jury unanimously found Mr. Marks guilty at the end of his trial in May.
During the trial, Crown Counsel Jude Hanley told the jury to pay close attention to the details of how Mr. Marks and the alleged victim came to know each other and the nature of their relationship. She described the alleged victim — a mother of two at the time of the trial — as “by no means the perfect girl.”
“Whether or not she agreed to have sexual intercourse is of no consequence,” the prosecutor said. “It matters not. The law makes it very clear — crystal clear — that a person under the age of 16 years cannot consent.”
See the July 26, 2012 edition for full coverage.
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