Nova Scotia man sentenced to 9 years for sexually abusing daughter’s friend

A Nova Scotia man found guilty of multiple sex crimes against minors has been sentenced for sexually assaulting his daughter’s 14-year-old friend in 2010.

Bruce Douglas Hatfield, 60, was sentenced to nine years in federal custody less remand credit.

The victim, who requested the publication ban on her name be lifted, phoned into Tuesday’s hearing.

In a statement, Kayla Deveau, now 30, said, “No sentencing will ever take away what happened to me.”

“This is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and it has changed the way I look at the world and the safety of my own children forever,” she told Global News.

“To me, nine years will never truly feel like enough for someone who committed such horrific acts against a child. I personally believe crimes like this deserve life sentences because the impact on victims is lifelong.”

The assaults happened when Hatfield took Deveau and his daughter on trips from Yarmouth to Halifax.

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Deveau filed a police report in 2022 and Hatfield was charged in 2024. A trial took place last year.

Witness testimony during that trial prompted Halifax Regional Police to say they were concerned there may be more victims.

“During the trial, witness testimony suggested that Hatfield had made trips between Yarmouth and Halifax with other young women. Investigators are concerned that there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward,” police said in a Feb. 13 news release.

During sentencing on Tuesday, Justice Denise Boudreau said Hatfield plied the girls with alcohol and pills, and sexually abused Deveau while she was in his care.

Prosecutors recommended Hatfield receive 10 to 12 years for the two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference he was found guilty of.

They argued Hatfield was in a position of trust and alleged the attacks were premeditated, citing his multiple other convictions for sexually abusing adolescent girls.

“We are seeing a change in the sentencing regime, we are seeing sentences that are markedly higher, which, from our perspective, is an appropriate change,” said Crown attorney Sean McCarroll.

The defence recommended Hatfield receive six to seven years, largely due to his unstable upbringing. But Justice Boudreau ultimately settled at nine years.

Deveau’s victim impact statement was read aloud in front of the court in March. In her statement, she recounted how Hatfield’s actions had a lasting negative impact on her life.

She described feeling broken, confused and overwhelmed with hurt, causing her to go down a path of self-destruction that lasted years.

“She was a child when this happened, she could not have been expected to respond in any way other than the way she did respond,” said McCarroll.

“Which is an important message, not only to other offenders, but to other victims out there —that they can come forward without fear of being judged.”