Alberta man convicted of historic sex assaults

A southern Alberta man has been convicted of historical sexual assaults that date back more than 30 years.

The man can’t be identified as he was underage at the time off the assaults, as were the victims.

The 50-year-old Raymond man has been found guilty of one count of indecent assault and three counts of sexual assault.

The judge dismissed an additional charge of each.

RCMP laid charges after a woman came forward in 2016 and said she was sexually abused as a child by a man who was known to her. Three other women came forward during the investigation.

During the trial, the man took the stand in his own defence and admitted to touching two of the girls sexually on multiple occasions. He told court that when the victims eventually told him they didn’t want to be touched, he stopped.

At the conclusion of the trial, the defence lawyer invited the judge to find his client guilty on four of the six counts, which he judge did on Monday.

Two of the counts fall under the Juvenile Delinquents Act, which means jail time is not an option for sentencing.

The remaining two counts are under the youth criminal justice act, where time behind bars could be handed down by the judge.

The defence is seeking a suspended sentence, which means no jail time, however the crown is seeking a 12 month sentence with probation to follow.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled on April 24.