‘I’m not a monster’: Lloydminster man gets 3.5 years for sexual interference with a 14-year-old

In delivering the sentence, Judge Stephen Kritzer said the case involved a clear imbalance of responsibility. The court identified several aggravating factors, including the victim’s age, the provision of alcohol and the nature of the sexual contact.

“The fact that this involved intercourse is a very significant fact,” Kritzer said.

Victim impact statements described lasting emotional harm, including panic attacks, strained relationships and feelings of guilt and confusion. Her mother told the court she felt as though she had “lost her child,” describing ongoing anxiety and distress.

“She had to sit and watch her drift away, no matter how much love she gave … The mother was guilty, thinking that it was her fault.”

The victim also shared a poem describing the emotional toll of the offence, writing: “I let you in, I trusted you. Now I feel shame as I cry alone in the dark.”

Kritzer said such reactions are not uncommon, noting victims may internalize blame.

When something goes wrong, they try to imagine how not to have that happening again. … Until then, they start to blame themselves in that mental process,” the judge said, adding he hopes the mother and daughter seek professional help such as therapy.

Crown prosecutors sought a sentence in the range of three to five years. Defence argued for a sentence of two years less a day followed by probation, citing the man’s age, background and potential for rehabilitation.

Kritzer also pointed to alcohol use as a key concern, linking it to both the offence and the risk of reoffending.

“That’s a factor that you can actually impact. If you make decisions, ‘I’m gonna be a zero-alcohol guy. I’m gonna be a zero-drug guy, I’m gonna find a purpose in life where I’m going to do good for others,’” Kritzer said.

In his statement to the court, Lewis expressed remorse and spoke about the impact the case has had on his life.

“I felt like I lost a lot in my life, and I wake up every morning knowing that I have to live around this. I completely, you know, utterly sorry. I am remorseful. I do want to become a better man,” Lewis said.

“I’m not a monster or evil person… before all this, I was a good person.”

Kritzer addressed that statement directly while speaking to Lewis’s mother in the courtroom.

“One of the things I was struck by was your son commented that, ‘I was a good person.'”

“30 years of being involved in the court system. I’ve come across one. It was pure evil. That wasn’t you.”

“So when you said that you, ‘I was a good person,’ it saddened me. Because I don’t think that’s true. You’re still the same person. But you’re a person that made a mistake.”

Kritzer said the sentence reflects both the seriousness of the offence and the need for accountability, while also recognizing Lewis’s youth and potential for rehabilitation.

Lewis received 369 days of credit for time already served.

He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample, register as a sex offender and is subject to a 10-year firearms prohibition. The court also imposed conditions restricting Lewis from being in places such as parks and swimming pools where anyone under 16 may be present, and from working or volunteering in positions of authority over minors.

He was also sentenced to seven days on each of two counts of failing to comply with a release order, to be served concurrently.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

‘I’m not a monster’: Lloydminster man gets 3.5 years for sexual interference with a 14-year-old

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