UPDATE: Crown seeks dangerous offender designation for Russell Wolfe
A Saskatoon man pleaded guilty on Monday to 20 criminal charges, including making child pornography and sexual assault.
Russell Dennis Wolfe, 58, entered the pleas at Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon. He previously faced more than 30 charges, however that number was reduced.
READ MORE: New child pornography charges laid against Saskatoon man
Wolfe’s case spans back to the mid-1990s, however he was arrested in 2014 after a Canada-wide operation targeting sex offenders. He entered the pleas before his case went to trial, thus avoiding the proceeding.
“The fact that we did not have to proceed to trial in this case meant saving a lot of victims from having to testify and having to recount the horrors that they had to live,” Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli said to reporters after the court appearance.
Morelli said there is an option for the Crown to make a dangerous offender application against Wolfe. She would not confirm if the Crown plans to proceed that way, however said the decision will hopefully be made when Wolfe’s sentencing phase begins on April 3.
READ MORE: Russell Wolfe facing more child pornography charges in Saskatoon
Wolfe’s defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle said he plans to argue against a dangerous offender application, if one is pursued. However, he added that he anticipates a “significant sentence” to be handed down in the case.
More details surrounding Wolfe’s charges is expected to be revealed once the sentencing phase begins.