Man, 48, accused of abusing teenage stepdaughter

Man, 48, accused of abusing teenaged stepdaughter

Winnipeg police have seized videotapes and explicit emails they say show a 48-year-old man sexually abusing his teenaged stepdaughter and secretly recording her on camera.

The accused -- who can't be named to protect the identity of the 16-year-old girl -- was recently arrested on charges of voyeurism, making child pornography and sexual assault. None of the allegations have been proved and he is presumed innocent.

Police began investigating in January after the teen told her mother she woke up in their West End home to find her stepfather molesting her.

The woman also discovered numerous email messages her husband of five years had allegedly been sending to her daughter for the past several months.

She went to court and obtained a restraining order against the man, filing copies of the emails with the courts. She also filed for divorce.

In the emails, the man is accused of offering his stepdaughter cash, electronics and even allowing her to skip school and keep it a secret. But he indicates there will be a price.

"You know that your mom will be mad at you skipping school and you keep asking me to do things for you, I don't ask anything in return but this time I think that you owe me for doing this for you!

"If you agree to my terms I will continue to keep your secrets. My term is this you will agree to do what I ask of you with no questions," he allegedly wrote in an April 2009 email.

In May 2009, the girl received an email stating: "I want that we can spend some quality time together and I would like to see you the way your mom does."

Further emails included invitations for the girl to spend time with him in exchange for money, an iPod and a cellular phone.

"Would you like me to give you $300 tomorrow? All you have to do is one simple thing and I will give you the money in cash. All you have to do is come into the room. Let me know you got this email and say yes," reads an August 2009 email.

Police arrested the man in March 2010 and initially charged him with sexual assault and sexual interference. He was released on a promise to appear in court with conditions not to have any contact with the girl or his estranged wife.

The investigation remained open and took another turn when police recently discovered a series of videotapes which contain nude images of the girl. She apparently had no idea they had been taken. Police say the recordings were made between September 2007 and December 2009, beginning when the girl was just 13. There are no allegations they had been sold or distributed.

Police rearrested the man earlier this week on the additional charges of child pornography and voyeurism. He has been detained in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. The investigation is ongoing.

These are pretty serious charges but I do not feel that this man should be held in custody, causing further overcrowding in the remand facility, which has adverse effects on all inmates. Only the most dangerous individuals who pose a high risk to the public safety should be detained, but the majority, should be granted bail. I do not believe this man poses a great danger to society or the public, and therefore, should not be held in custody. He should have been released on bail in the community with strict conditions. 

Supervised probation for man who installed cameras in washroom

No jail for installing cams in washroom

A service station employee caught installing digital cameras in a customer washroom was spared jail Thursday, but not a criminal record.

Kevin Dion pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism and was sentenced to two years supervised probation. Judge Lynne Stannard rejected a defence request Dion receive a conditional discharge.

“This was a serious breach of privacy for anyone who went into that washroom that day. It’s a serious attack on the dignity of people,” Stannard said.

“I do have to send a message to the community that this kind of attack on people’s privacy cannot be treated leniently by the court.”

Crown attorney Wendy Friesen told court the owner of the Henderson Highway Esso station was using the unisex washroom on March 4, 2009, when she spotted two small digital cameras hidden in the ceiling tiles.

“While she was waiting for police to attend, the accused went up to her and admitted he had put the cameras in the bathroom,” Friesen said. “He advised his employer he had a problem with pornography.”

Police downloaded pictures from the cameras, which did not include any images of people using the washroom.

It was unclear in court how long Dion had been hiding the cameras in the washroom or if police found illegal images on a home computer or elsewhere.

Court heard Dion is undergoing “intensive” counselling.

Dion is ashamed and embarrassed by his actions, said his lawyer David Thau-Eleff.

“Denunciation and deterrence has been addressed by virtue of his contact with the justice system,” Thau-Eleff said. “This hasn’t been pleasant for him.”

I agree with supervised probation for this man. He should be required to attend intensive counseling and treatment for his pornography issue. I would also like to know any mitigating factors in this case. 

Alleged tanning peeper, is charged again, suggesting a non-isolated previous attack

Alleged tanning peeper charged again 

Stands accused of voyeurism, sex assaults

IT was a shocking crime at a downtown Winnipeg tanning salon -- a young woman accosted in a private room by an unknown intruder who had scaled a wall to spy on her.

Now, evidence is mounting to suggest this was not an isolated attack. Winnipeg police have expanded their investigation and laid a slew of new criminal charges against the alleged voyeur believed to be responsible for the November 2009 incident.

Russel Bruce Cassels, 29, is now accused of sexually assaulting and secretly videotaping two former girlfriends over a lengthy period of time, according to court documents obtained by the Free Press.

One of the women claims she was attacked between June 2008 and August 2009, while the other has cited incidents between July 2009 and February 2010.

On Tuesday, Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Rob Carver said two women recently came forward to shed new light on the existing police probe.

"This is a fairly extensive set of circumstances. We would be casting the net very broad, certainly looking to see where else offences may have been committed and against whom," Carver said.

Cassels was first arrested Dec. 4 and charged with an incident at TanFX that happened days earlier. The 20-year-old woman began screaming for help and the suspect responded by pushing down the lid of the tanning bed so she couldn't escape.

He then fled the facility, located in the underground Winnipeg Square at 360 Main St.

The victim was emotionally traumatized but not physically injured.

Police charged Cassels with voyeurism, break and enter, forcible confinement and a break and enter-related charge. He was released on bail days later, despite objections from the Crown.

Police seized a cellular phone from the accused which allegedly contained a database of several city addresses which included "shower times" for some of the female residents.

Police began visiting several homes in early December to speak with the occupants. A 21-year-old woman said police showed up at her Osborne Village residence to inform her the house she shares with four roommates was on the list.

None of the women had ever seen the accused before. No additional charges have been laid to this point involving those incidents.

Cassels was rearrested on Feb. 23 after allegedly breaching conditions of his bail by assaulting one of his ex-girlfriends. He was granted bail the next day, with the Crown once again opposed.

Police continued to investigate and uncovered additional evidence involving the girlfriend, and another former partner who came forward. Cassels was arrested again on March 12 and has been in custody ever since. His new charges include two more counts of voyeurism, forcible confinement, sexual assault and assault.

Man charged in tanning booth invasion
Tanning booth intruder charged with voyeurism
Alleged peeper had 'shower times' list: police; Tanning salon suspect probed

When I look at the type of attacks and activities that this man has been doing and planning, I see a potential sex offender. Someday, spying on women might not arouse his as much, causing him to move on based on his fantasies, towards sexually assaulting, kidnapping and possibly even killing women. Sex offenders start off with relatively minor crimes and move along a continuum. What I want to know, is why this man was released on bail, TWICE?! Especially after he breached the conditions of his first bail received? It baffles me but at least he is in custody now.