A 33-year-old Saint John man who sexually preyed on underage teenage girls he friended on Facebook has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Andrew Orser pleaded guilty in April to the sexual assault of two girls under the age of 16 after being found guilty at a trial in March of sexually assaulting a third teenager.
The offences occurred between 2014 and 2016 and all involved accusations of Orser convincing, pressuring or, in some cases, forcing the minors to engage in sexual intercourse and other acts.
Because of him she no longer smiles like she used to.- Victim's mother
Some evidence suggested Orser portrayed himself to be much younger than his actual age — in one case attempting to pass himself off as a 19-year-old — in his dealings with the girls.
Crown and defence lawyers jointly recommended the seven year prison term, and Judge Marco Cloutier agreed.
"I have no hesitation in accepting the joint submission," he said. "Clearly there has to be a period of incarceration."
'My trust in people has been damaged'
Prior to sentencing, the court heard two victim impact statements, including an emotional presentation directly from one of Orser's three victims, whose identities are protected by a publication ban.
Cloutier told the girl she was not obliged to speak if she found it too difficult, but through tears she made a complete statement to the court, pausing frequently to gather her emotions.
"My trust in people has been damaged," she said. "I used to be physically affectionate with friends and family, (but now) it bothers me when they hug me."
She said she has become an introvert, spending hours alone in her room at home to avoid people and has struggled at school. She said her marks have deteriorated and she's failed some of her classes.
"This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me," she told the court, adding that she is working hard to overcome the damage.
"I will not let this ruin me completely. I am going to overcome this."
Also speaking was the mother of a second victim, who described the lasting emotional scars her daughter has endured because of Orser's assaults.
She, too, has become an introvert, her mother said, and often cries and questions why she had to be born a girl.
"I don't know if he will ever understand what he has done to my daughter," she said. "Our whole lives have been turned upside down. Because of him she no longer smiles like she used to."
Crown wanted significant punishment
Crown prosecutor Patrick Wilbur said Orser's actions were deliberate and required significant punishment.
"He targeted these individuals and perpetrated these acts on them," said Wilbur. "He clearly identified and groomed through social media those who were vulnerable — vulnerable through their circumstances in life or vulnerable because of their age."
In April, court had heard two of the underage victims had been first contacted by Orser through Facebook.
In Canada, the legal age to consent to sexual activity is 16.
Orser pleas for mercy, dispute facts
Orser spoke prior to being sentenced and claimed he has changed since he committed the crimes, becoming a vegan and developing a "healthy" long-term relationship with a woman he hopes eventually to marry.
"It was wrong," he said. "My recklessness and irresponsible actions are a great source of personal shame."
Orser said he was sorry to "anyone I have hurt" and asked Cloutier for "leniency and mercy."
But Orser's plea fell flat when he tried to dispute some of the facts he was found guilty on at a trial involving the first victim earlier this year.
Orser did not testify in his own defence and said he wanted to challenge some of the issues that came up, but Cloutier told him it was too late for that. He also told Orser his desire to reargue matters from his trial made him doubt the sincerity of his remorse.
In addition to prison, Cloutier ordered Orser to be placed on Canada's sex offender registry "for life" and be forbidden from holding any position of trust involving young women for at least 10 years following his release.