Ex-church Youth Counsellor Gets 14-years for Sexual Assaults

By Daryl Slade
Calgary Herald
June 13, 2013

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/church+youth+counsellor+gets+years+sexual+assaults/8521771/story.html

Calling him an untreated pedophile and a sex offender who is a substantial risk to reoffend, a judge sentenced former church youth counsellor Roderick Kyle Janssen to 14 years in prison Thursday for sexually abusing six young boys.

Provincial court Judge Catherine Skene also declared Janssen a long-term offender and placed him under community supervision for another 10 years after his release. Janssen was given double credit for time already spent in custody, leaving him with nine years and eight months to serve in prison.

“Mr. Janssen suffers from pedophilia and used opportunistic social strategies to gain trust of mothers of the boys,” Skene said in giving her sentence on Thursday.

“He is sexually attracted to boys and he used his friendship and trust through the church to take them on trips, to use hot tubs and go on other outings. Mr. Janssen went to excessive lengths to get close to them.”

Janssen pleaded guilty in November 2011 to 18 charges, including six for sexually abusing the boys, mostly aged six to 13, and a dozen counts related to child pornography.

Skene said Janssen targeted young boys who were vulnerable, in particular those whose parents were divorced and who were living with their mothers,

She noted that he took photos and videos of 10 boys — six of which could be identified and were of a pornographic nature.

None of the victims can be identified because of their ages and the sexual nature of the offences.

Police also found 78,841 images and 3,374 videos on his home computer that were deemed to be child pornography. He traded many of those images online.

“His criminal past shows he targeted vulnerable youths while in a position of trust,” Skene said. “There was definitely some sophistication in dealing with fellow traders”

The judge gave Janssen three years for the two worst sexual assaults and two years each for the other four assaults. He received two or three years each for the child porn charges. Many of the sentences will run at the same time.

As well, Janssen will be registered as a sex offender for 20 years and must not attend any school ground, park, swimming pool or other venue where children are generally likely to be present for 10 years after release.

The judge also ordered him to provide a DNA sample and take sex offender counselling, which she said Janssen has never done before but now seems motivated to do.

Previously, Janssen fought back tears as he apologized to the parents of some of the boys he sexually abused and used to make child pornography over a five-year period between 2006 and 2011.

“I’d like to apologize to the court and I’d like to apologize to the parents. I’m very sorry for my actions,” a sobbing Roderick Kyle Janssen, 36, told Skene at the conclusion of his sentencing hearing last month.

“I realize it hurt you guys. I just apologize for everything. I want to do everything I can to ensure this will never happen again. I will take all the programs I can. I don’t want this to happen again.”

Janssen’s lawyer, Kim Ross, argued for a total sentence of eight to 10 years for the 18 charges. He said it was a key factor that his client has no prior criminal record and doesn’t have any substance-abuse issues.

Crown prosecutor Nadine Nesbitt argued for 14 to 15 years.

In a report prepared for sentencing, forensic psychiatrist Dr. David Tano said Janssen had a number of issues, including “making sure he’s aware that young children are not appropriate sex partners.”

Tano also said the man has “sexually deviant intentions.”

The doctor said if he gets help, Janssen is a reduced risk to reoffend and he could benefit from successful treatment.

Contact: dslade@calgaryherald.com