R. v. Storheim (S.K.W.), 2014 MBQB 141

• Judge: Mainella, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba (Canada)
• Case Date: July 09, 2014
• Jurisdiction: Manitoba
• Citations: 2014 MBQB 141;(2014), 308 Man.R.(2d) 75 (QB)

R. v. Storheim (S.K.W.) (2014), 308 Man.R.(2d) 75 (QB)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2014] Man.R.(2d) TBEd. JL.028

Her Majesty The Queen v. Seraphim Kenneth William Storheim (accused)

(CR 12-01-31687; 2014 MBQB 141)

Indexed As: R. v. Storheim (S.K.W.)

Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench

Winnipeg Centre

Mainella, J.

July 9, 2014.

Summary:

The accused priest was found guilty of sexually assaulting an 11 year old altar boy in 1985. The Crown sought a 12 month prison term. The accused submitted that he should receive a conditional sentence.

The Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench sentenced the accused to eight months' imprisonment.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4

Punishments (sentence) - Conditional sentence - When available or appropriate - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5932 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5830.6

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Relationship of victim to accused - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5932 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5831.1

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Offences involving breach of trust - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5932 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5834.2

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Effect on victim (incl. victim impact statements) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5932 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5846.4

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Social consequences to accused (incl. from media coverage, public humiliation, damage to reputation, finances, etc.) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5932 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Sexual offences against children - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5932 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5932

Sentence - Sexual assault - Storheim met LJR and his family when he was their priest in Ontario - He later moved to Winnipeg - In 1985, when LJR was 11 years old, he visited Storheim in Winnipeg for the purpose of being an altar boy - Storheim had a habit of walking around naked in front of LJR - One time, when LJR was also naked and under the pretext of giving LJR a sexual education, Storheim briefly put his hands on the area of LJR's penis and had LJR touch Storheim's testicle - Storheim was found guilty of sexual assault in 2014 - He was now 68 years old and assessed as an extremely low risk to re-offend - The Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench found that despite the mitigating factors (no prior criminal record, Storheim's exemplary service to his church and community, the public shame and consequences to his reputation), a conditional sentence was not appropriate - Aggravating factors included the extent of the psychological harm that LJR continued to suffer, the abuse of a position of trust as LJR's priest, the abuse of a position of authority as LJR's parental figure during his visit to Winnipeg, and evidence of grooming and trickery - An eight month prison term was appropriate.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Proulx (J.K.D.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 61; 249 N.R. 201; 142 Man.R.(2d) 161; 212 W.A.C. 161; 2000 SCC 5, refd to. [para. 2].

R. v. J.A.G. (2008), 228 Man.R.(2d) 99; 427 W.A.C. 99; 2008 MBCA 55, refd to. [para. 4].

R. v. Cromien (T.) (2002), 155 O.A.C. 128 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

R. v. Wells (J.W.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 207; 250 N.R. 364; 250 A.R. 273; 213 W.A.C. 273; 2000 SCC 10, refd to. [para. 5].

R. v. D.D. (2002), 157 O.A.C. 323; 58 O.R.(3d) 788 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Johnson (J.J.), [2003] 2 S.C.R. 357; 308 N.R. 333; 186 B.C.A.C. 161; 306 W.A.C. 161; 2003 SCC 46, refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. Fones (D.R.) (2012), 288 Man.R.(2d) 86; 564 W.A.C. 86; 2012 MBCA 110, refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. Nasogaluak (L.M.), [2010] 1 S.C.R. 206; 398 N.R. 107; 474 A.R. 88; 479 W.A.C. 88; 2010 SCC 6, refd to. [para. 32].

R. v. J.R.A. (2012), 280 Man.R.(2d) 123; 548 W.A.C. 123; 2012 MBCA 48, refd to. [para. 33].

R. v. L.F.W., [2000] 1 S.C.R. 132; 249 N.R. 345; 185 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 1; 562 A.P.R. 1; 2000 SCC 6, refd to. [para. 36].

R. v. R.N.S., [2000] 1 S.C.R. 149; 249 N.R. 365; 132 B.C.A.C. 1; 215 W.A.C. 1; 2000 SCC 7, refd to. [para. 36].

R. v. McDonnell (T.E.), [1997] 1 S.C.R. 948; 210 N.R. 241; 196 A.R. 321; 141 W.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 41].

R. v. Stuckless (1998), 111 O.A.C. 357; 41 O.R.(3d) 103 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. A.G. (2004), 191 O.A.C. 386 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 46].

U.S.A. v. Chambers (2011), 642 F.3d 588 (7th Cir.), refd to. [para. 46].

R. v. Revet (C.J.) (2010), 350 Sask.R. 292; 487 W.A.C. 292; 2010 SKCA 71, refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. H.S. (2014), 318 O.A.C. 299; 2014 ONCA 323, refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. C.A.M., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500; 194 N.R. 321; 73 B.C.A.C. 81; 120 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 53].

R. v. Cromwell (E.J.) (2006), 401 A.R. 77; 391 W.A.C. 77; 2006 ABCA 365, refd to. [para. 53].

R. v. A.R. (1994), 92 Man.R.(2d) 183; 61 W.A.C. 183 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 54].

R. v. Bunn (T.A.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 183; 249 N.R. 296; 142 Man.R.(2d) 256; 212 W.A.C. 256; 2000 SCC 9, dist. [para. 55].

R. v. Kneale (J.) (1999), 96 O.T.C. 50 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Schiegel (1985), 7 O.A.C. 37 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. Ewanchuk (S.B.) (2002), 299 A.R. 267; 266 W.A.C. 267; 2002 ABCA 95, leave to appeal refused (2003), 310 N.R. 399 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. Deck (B.S.) (2006), 384 A.R. 106; 367 W.A.C. 106; 2006 ABCA 92, refd to. [para. 60].

R. v. Heatherington (D.M.) (2005), 380 A.R. 395; 363 W.A.C. 395; 2005 ABCA 393, refd to. [para. 60].

R. v. Zentner (R.) (2012), 539 A.R. 1; 561 W.A.C. 1; 2012 ABCA 332, refd to. [para. 61].

R. v. Doucette (G.) (2000), 194 Sask.R. 267; 2000 SKQB 312, refd to. [para. 64].

R. v. Boudreau, 2012 ONCJ 322, refd to. [para. 64].

R. v. Jacobs, 2013 BCSC 768, refd to. [para. 64].

R. v. P.D.U. (2000), 150 Man.R.(2d) 309; 230 W.A.C. 309; 2000 MBCA 142, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. A.C., [2012] O.A.C. Uned. 480; 2012 ONCA 608, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. K.R.D. (2005), 229 N.S.R.(2d) 381; 725 A.P.R. 381; 2005 NSCA 13, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. Palacios, 2012 ONCJ 195, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. H.K. (2014), 301 Man.R.(2d) 241; 2014 MBQB 18, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. E.M.W. (2011), 308 N.S.R.(2d) 15; 976 A.P.R. 15; 2011 NSCA 87, refd to. [para. 66].

R. v. P.M. (2012), 289 O.A.C. 352; 2012 ONCA 162, leave to appeal refused (2012), 441 N.R. 395 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 68].

R. v. D.M. (2012), 299 O.A.C. 202; 2012 ONCA 894, refd to. [para. 68].

R. v. D.M. (2012), 294 O.A.C. 71; 2012 ONCA 520, refd to. [para. 68].

R. v. D.O.L., [1993] 4 S.C.R. 419; 161 N.R. 1; 88 Man.R.(2d) 241; 51 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. Levert (G.) (2001), 150 O.A.C. 208 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 71].

R. v. B.W.B. (2007), 412 A.R. 182; 404 W.A.C. 182; 2007 ABCA 199, refd to. [para. 73].

R. v. G.W.R. (2011), 268 Man.R.(2d) 204; 520 W.A.C. 204; 2011 MBCA 62, refd to. [para. 75].

Counsel:

Breta M. Passler and Mandy L. Klein, for the Crown;

Jeffrey J. Gindin, for the accused.

This matter was heard before Mainella, J., of the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench, Winnipeg Centre, who delivered the following judgment on July 9, 2014.