‘Causing pain’: Judge sentences former university swimming star for sexual assault

A swimmer who won four medals for Canada at the 2011 world junior championships was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison Wednesday for a sexual assault on a woman in 2018.

Chad Bobrosky, 29, broke down in tears when the judge gave him permission to hug his family goodbye before he was taken away by sheriffs.

Judge Gord Wong said the sex assault on the young woman in December 2018, at Bobrosky’s Calgary apartment, involved sadism, bondage and repeated attacks with an intent to injure.

“Causing pain was part and parcel of the sexual assault, which is clear in the infliction of the injuries,” Wong said.

The judge pointed out that the victim had told Bobrosky that he was hurting her, but he continued.

“The actions of the accused were particularly degrading and humiliating, including taking a video during the course of the sexual assault for his own personal pleasure, it would seem.”

Wong found Bobrosky guilty in February. The judge said Bobrosky’s defence that the sexual contact was consensual was unbelievable.

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He said there were no mitigating circumstances to allow him to reduce the sentence from the 4 1/2 years the Crown had requested.

The defence had asked for a sentence in the range of three to 3 1/2 years.

Bobrosky was working as an investment banking associate when the crime occurred. The defence had asked the judge to consider reducing the sentence because he would lose his lucrative job when he went to prison.

“I have no evidence of any long-lasting career implications. There’s no indication that upon his release from jail he will be unable to gain employment in his chosen field,” Wong said.

“The accused is a mature, intelligent individual who had to have known he was inflicting pain on the complainant. That did not deter him.”

Bobrosky was a three-time finalist at the 2012 Canadian Olympics swim trials in the 200-metre freestyle, the 400-metre freestyle and the 200-metre backstroke.

He was also a U.S. all-American swimmer when he was a member of the University of Southern California team between 2011 and 2015, says the university’s athletics website.