Ottawa john in teen pimp case gets year in jail for sex assault

[Man Mountain]

I noticed that reverdy posted the following in the stickied C-36 media watchlist thread. I'm reposting it here in The Lounge because I think it makes for a very noteworthy cautionary tale for all of us.

Ottawa john in teen pimp case gets year in jail for sex assault

GARY DIMMOCK, OTTAWA CITIZEN

Published on: December 14, 2015

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/1215-teen-pimp

Joseph Donnelly, the only john arrested in Ottawa’s notorious teen pimp case, hugged his family goodbye Monday before he was led away in handcuffs to serve a year in jail for raping a 17-year-old girl who had been forced into prostitution.

Before Ontario Superior Court Justice Hugh McLean handed down sentence, prosecutor Julian Daller read the teenager’s moving victim-impact statement:

“I’ve lost every ability to feel safe, living so close to where the incident happened brings utter terror to me every time I have to step foot into that neighbourhood, a place I grew up … the stress had gotten so bad to where I felt helpless and tried to take my own life.

“Often I feel like I am losing my sanity because my thoughts are often consumed with negativity which I can’t seem to control.”

The suicidal teen tried counselling but it just reminded her of the night she was terrorized by teen pimps and forced to sell her body for sex, court heard.

The judge noted that Donnelly, 42, was a first-time offender and had no idea that the victim was being coerced by other teenaged girls into the sex trade. Just hours before she had sex with Donnelly, her tormentors took nude pictures of her against her will and sent them to potential johns like Donnelly. They gave her drugs and put heavy makeup on her face.

The teen played the part well, presenting herself as an older, experienced escort who discussed limits and told Donnelly: “It’s your time, it’s your money.” She told him she was 19 and said the best part of being a hooker was the money, court heard.

Donnelly was tried for sex assault because the police and the prosecution have accused him of having unprotected sex against the young woman’s will and sex using an object without her consent.

Donnelly took the stand in his own defence and said there were no indication the teen was lying about her age. He insisted that he used a condom and all the sex was consensual.

But the victim told a different story during two days of testimony, saying Donnelly took the condom off during sex and later used an object without her consent. She testified about a painful and degrading night of sex.

After three days of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict.

Donnelly has expressed remorse. The court also heard that he questioned why the teen girl didn’t tell him about her back story. Donnelly said he had paid for sex with several prostitutes and never had a problem, and that having sex with a teen girl forced into the sex trade was “disgusting.”

The judge noted that Donnelly had several letters of support but told court his actions needed to be punished because the sex was against the teen girl’s will.

Donelly’s lawyer, Paul Lewandowski, told court his client was a hard-working family man who was guilty of a “one-off,” and that the publicity around the case was punishment enough to simply sentence him to probation.

The judge instead sent Donnelly to a year in jail, and ruled that his name will be on the sex offender registry for 20 years.

I remember a time even just a few years ago when someone advertised as 18 was a HUGE red flag for many of us. Over the past few months, it's become increasingly more common to see this on leolist and there have certainly been some 411 and review threads on some of these advertised SPs. Add to that when they also stipulate that contact is to only be made through text or email and that's a recipe for the possibility that you're communicating with "handlers".

Be careful out there, guys...

 

[westwoody]

A lot of guys are fixated on sketchy providers.
The worse they look, the more decrepit their environment, the bigger a thrill.
If Donelly made an honest mistake, too bad. Twenty years on a sex offender registry is brutal.
I am not sorry for anyone into survival workers or age innapropriate.
Another sign of exploitation is "when you call, ask for.." If she doesn't have her own phone it looks wrong.

 

[hornygandalf]

'One off'? The story states that he had sex with a number of prostitutes, so this wasn't the first time or a one off incident.
Still, he didn't approach this in a safe way and got caught out.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

without knowing the entire story, i would say this conviction and sentence stands a very good chance of being set aside on appeal. clearly the judge erred in a he said-she said scenario

 

[newatit]

I agree that this story seems pretty harsh. There are a couple of issues though. Once you get involved in sexual conduct just where the excitement and play is going to go can be unpredictable. And I think had to qualify. In the heat of the workout actions are somewhat left to nature. But using an instrument I expectantly could simply be beyond the terms of the contract, a civil contractural matter rather than an assault. But it's hard to say where the line should be drawn here. He should have informed her of this desire. A contract is a contract but terms often get diluted. I think there is a point in law here.

But the other issue is the situation of getting involved unknowingly in a criminal situation. A woman freely offering her service in a massage parlour or bordello where she has protection and company offers her safety. It also provides safety for the client since forced situations like this would be less likely.

There is a lot written about girls being forced into this deal and yes I fully feel this should be prevented. Each client should be careful to deal only with gals doing this work willingly. Some questions should be asked. I have walked away from places where it was obvious that something stressful existed. It's no fun if the partner doesn't want to be one.

Having said this I have gotten to know a few girls from Asia whose stories might sound like trafficking. But then I find that yes these gals have a sponsor and somewhat confined business outlook but they are free to roam, may have a car, an apartment and go shopping and do shows. Are they any different than me being a professional person who takes foreign assignments for an employer who puts me in a compound in a foreign country and monitors me��? I don't think so. These gals head back to Asia with quite a bit of money.

 

[Tugela]

I agree that this story seems pretty harsh. There are a couple of issues though. Once you get involved in sexual conduct just where the excitement and play is going to go can be unpredictable. And I think had to qualify. In the heat of the workout actions are somewhat left to nature. But using an instrument I expectantly could simply be beyond the terms of the contract, a civil contractural matter rather than an assault. But it's hard to say where the line should be drawn here. He should have informed her of this desire. A contract is a contract but terms often get diluted. I think there is a point in law here.

But the other issue is the situation of getting involved unknowingly in a criminal situation. A woman freely offering her service in a massage parlour or bordello where she has protection and company offers her safety. It also provides safety for the client since forced situations like this would be less likely.

There is a lot written about girls being forced into this deal and yes I fully feel this should be prevented. Each client should be careful to deal only with gals doing this work willingly. Some questions should be asked. I have walked away from places where it was obvious that something stressful existed. It's no fun if the partner doesn't want to be one.

Having said this I have gotten to know a few girls from Asia whose stories might sound like trafficking. But then I find that yes these gals have a sponsor and somewhat confined business outlook but they are free to roam, may have a car, an apartment and go shopping and do shows. Are they any different than me being a professional person who takes foreign assignments for an employer who puts me in a compound in a foreign country and monitors me��? I don't think so. These gals head back to Asia with quite a bit of money.

Um...it is completely NOT the same. Unless you somehow think it is common and acceptable practice for your employee to smuggle you into a country under false pretenses so you can work illegally there under their "supervision".

 

[newatit]

You may be totally right. You have to wonder what the trigger is though to show this up. The gal was involved with a need for minor medical assistance. It became obvious she needed antibiotics. She told me she had some from China. She has since returned there. Refused to go for assistance here. She stopped working when she found out the health department here might track her down over a customer complaint. In fact vacated her apartment and hoped on plane. The fortunate thing about it that she was already scheduled to depart. So going anyway. If she was smuggled in do you think she would boldly depart on a schedule flight?

 

[Tugela]

I noticed that reverdy posted the following in the stickied C-36 media watchlist thread. I'm reposting it here in The Lounge because I think it makes for a very noteworthy cautionary tale for all of us.



I remember a time even just a few years ago when someone advertised as 18 was a HUGE red flag for many of us. Over the past few months, it's become increasingly more common to see this on leolist and there have certainly been some 411 and review threads on some of these advertised SPs. Add to that when they also stipulate that contact is to only be made through text or email and that's a recipe for the possibility that you're communicating with "handlers".

Be careful out there, guys...

I am inclined to believe his account of the encounter. Unless he knew that she was being coerced, and there is no evidence of that, IMO the chances of him incidentally behaving like that with this particular girl are low.

The charges had nothing to do with her age btw. Having sex with someone under the age of consent is illegal, and ignorance is not a defense, but that doesn't apply in this case since she was over 16. If he believed she was over 18 then he would be shielded for charges relating to under age prostitution I think, since that is covered under a different section of the criminal code. Instead, they charged him with assault since he supposedly had sex without a condom and used an object against her will. That seems a little too convenient to me however, so I think that part could have been fabricated so they could charge him with something.