Welcome to my Crime and Justice blog! I am a 19 year old criminal justice student at the University of Winnipeg. I advocate for prisoners' rights, human rights, equality and criminal justice/prison system reforms.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

"Sex offender denied bid for quick release"


A violent Manitoba sex offender deemed a high-risk to reoffend lost his bid to be immediately released back into the community.

Clayton Dixon has been in custody since his December 2006 arrest. He argued he shouldn't face any further sanctions for his latest crimes on two women.

But Queen's Bench Justice Morris Kaufman disagreed Wednesday, ordering him to spend another 11 months behind bars. He was given double-time credit for his pre-trial custody, meaning his sentence on paper is seven and-a-half-years.

Dixon, 40, was convicted at trial last year of numerous charges including two counts of sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats, forcible confinement and mischief. He has a lengthy criminal history spanning more than two decades.

The Crown was seeking a 10-year sentence -- the maximum allowed by law -- but Kaufman said Dixon didn't meet the criteria for such a designation.

Dixon repeatedly beat a middle-aged woman inside a home in Norway House, 450 kilometres north of Winnipeg. She tried to flee into a bedroom for safety, but Dixon kicked down the door and began sexually assaulting her. The woman managed to flee to a neighbouring home and call for help.
"This was a very horrific and violent sexual assault," Crown attorney Richard Smith told court Wednesday.

Dixon wasn't finished with his rampage. He began attacking a 15-year-old girl who was also in the home, assaulting her and attempting to kiss her. RCMP burst into the home and interrupted what they believe was going to be another serious sexual assault.
"The police came in to save the day," said Smith. Both victims were treated for various injuries.

Defence lawyer Gord Bates said his client was raised by his grandparents in a dysfunctional environment on the northern Manitoba reserve. Dixon's grandmother was abusive "and basically taught him he was useless," he said. Dixon has long struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, which has impacted his judgment.

Dixon has had a difficult time in jail since his arrest because he is labelled a "skinner" by other inmates for trying to sexually assault the teen victim.
Bates said his client plans to resume living with his common-law wife and their three children once he is released from jail. He will be on supervised probation for two years with conditions including having no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18. His name will also be placed on the federal sex offender registry.

The acts that this man committed were horrible and degrading but I understand the situational factors that may have influenced these crimes such as dysfunctional family life, and addictions. I feel that he should have been sentenced to 5 years instead of 7.5 years. 

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