A Sault Ste. Marie man will spend four and a half years behind bars in a federal penitentiary for child pornography offences.
Clinton Aikens, a 28-year-old first offender with no prior criminal record, was sentenced to the prison term last week when he appeared in a local courtroom.
The sentence was jointly recommended by the Crown and defence.
He pleaded guilty to seven offences – facilitate luring a person under the age of 16, possession of child pornography and five counts of distributing it – on Nov. 1.
At the request of the lawyers, Ontario Court Justice Heather Mendes ordered the agreed statement of facts sealed.
There is also a publication ban prohibiting reporting of information that could identify a victim or witness.
A city police news release, published on Feb. 29, 2024, reported Aikens was facing multiple child pornography charges after detectives raided his home and seized several electronic devices.
They executed the search warrant on Jan. 11, 2024.
The investigation began in November 2023 when officers with the Technological Crime unit "started examining potential child sexual abuse activity on social media in Sault Ste. Marie."
Following an "extensive examination of the devices seized," the detectives found material evidence of this activity.
Aikens was charged with possession of child pornography and five counts of importing and distributing it.
On May 8, 2024, police reported Aikens and another local man had been charged in a province-wide child exploitation investigation dubbed Project Aquatic.
He was charged with luring a person under 16.
Prosecutor Chris Thompson told Mendes the lawyers were recommending two and a half years for the luring offence, two years consecutive for making child pornography available and 18 months concurrent for possession of the material.
The size of the collection was not vast, but there were a large number of files, the assistant Crown attorney said.
Aikens' guilty pleas show he accepts responsibility for his actions.
Thompson then pointed to the aggravating factors – he was "filling supply and demand for a market" involving adults and children and "then actively seeking and sharing it."
Defence counsel Eric McCooeye indicated the length of the sentence, which is driven by the need for denunciation and deterrence, is in the appropriate range.
Aikens has a lengthy list of health issues, he told the judge.
His client, who has been seeing a psychotherapist, "is so ashamed and aghast."
He didn't recognize the harm he was causing and "it's come home to him."
Pre-sentence and Gladue reports show he's disconnected from his culture, McCooeye said.
The defence asked Mendes to recommend Aikens serve his time at Warkworth, a medium security prison located in southern Ontario that has Indigenous and sexual programs that would help him.
A weeping Aikens told the judge if he hadn't been prosecuted, his behaviour, which he described as inappropriate, would "have got worse."
Insisting "I'm not a bad guy," he said, "it's good for me to go away."
Aikens said he has developed post-traumatic stress disorder and wants to participate in programs that will help him become a better person and "repay for what I did."
Mendes agreed with the proposed sentence, citing the specifics of this case and the offender's situation.
Aikens has no prior record, reiterated his remorse, has health issues and his guilty pleas saved court time, the judge said.
She recommended he serve his sentence at Warkworth.
Mendes imposed an order requiring him to report to authorities under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act for 20 years.
As well, she prohibited Aikens from attending numerous places, such as public parks, swimming areas, playgrounds, school yards and daycare centres, where children under the age of 16 are present.
He is prohibited from seeking employment or being a volunteer that involves a position of trust with anyone under 16.
This 10-year order also places numerous restrictions on his access to the internet and electronic devices.