London ex-priest sentenced to 4 years for sexually abusing young boy

A former Anglican priest in London who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a young boy in the 1990s didn’t apologize to the victim when he had the chance.

Justice Lynne Leitch took that into account when she sentenced David Norton to four years in prison, noting the 72-year-old man was more focused on how the offences have negatively impacted him because he could no longer be a priest, and wasn’t allowed to see his granddaughter.

“Mr. Norton lacks insight into his own behaviour,” said Leitch.

He didn’t take accountability for his actions, blamed the victim, and minimized his role by saying he and the boy were both “fascinated with nudity and touching,” she said.

The boy, who was nine years old when the abuse began, had no responsibility for what happened, she added.

“The victim was cheated of his childhood.”

It came as “no surprise” to Leitch the individual, now in his 30s, turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with what happened between 1991 and 1995.

The victim’s identity is protected by a court order, as is the identity of his mother. She was raising her son as a single mom, and the court heard she introduced him to Norton so he’d have a male role model.

Instead, “Mr. Norton abused his position of trust,” and “took advantage of a young child to satisfy his own sexual desires,” said the judge.

The court has heard Norton and the boy would spend time alone together at Norton’s home and church, and they’d go on camping trips. An agreed statement of facts said during these trips, they’d go skinny dipping, they’d cuddle in bed, and Norton would perform sexual acts on the victim including fondling and fellatio. The court also heard Norton taught the victim to French kiss and would fondle the boy while teaching him how to drive his truck.

Norton pleaded guilty to one count of sexual interference in February.

Crown attorney Christoper Heron argued for a 4.5-year prison sentence, while defence lawyer Gord Cudmore hoped for a conditional sentence that would put his client on house arrest for two years less a day followed by three years of probation.

After the judge left the courtroom, an individual wearing a blue T-shirt that said “Chippewas” yelled at Norton to “tell the truth about all the boys you molested!” Before being ushered out by court security, the individual said: “Maybe your God will speak to you and tell you to tell the truth about all the boys!”

Norton was the priest of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Chippewas of the Thames First Nation between 1997 and 2011. It’s unclear how many complainants there are now, but in 2015 Norton was charged with sexually abusing three First Nations boys from 1977 to 1983.

Norton also used to work as a part-time professor in the history department of King’s University College.