'You kind of disconnect': Victim tells court of sexual exploitation by educational assistant
Sheryl Dyck is awaiting sentencing for sexual exploitation of former Elmwood High School student
A young man who was initially reluctant to go to police after being sexually exploited by his high school educational assistant told a Winnipeg court Friday he is now seeing the "ripple effects" of what happened to him.
The former Elmwood High School student spoke at a sentencing hearing for Sheryl Dyck, who was 42 when she was arrested and charged in December 2014 for initiating what police called an "inappropriate relationship" with the victim.
Dyck was found guilty of sexually exploiting the teen last June.
Crown attorney Lee Turner told court the man at first didn't realize he was a victim but as that has sunk in, it has had a negative effect on his life.
"You take 20 steps forward just in order to take 30 to 40 steps backwards," the man said in a victim impact statement.
"It made me stop doing things. You kind of disconnect — you kind of run away from a lot of things instead of confronting the things you don't really want to accept."
The victim, who cannot be identified because of a publication ban, told court he stopped going to school because people were looking at him and whispering.
'Grooming behaviour'
At the time of Dyck's arrest, police said the relationship lasted from March to October of 2014, starting when the victim was 16 years old and progressing over time.
Dyck had sex with the student multiple times, police said, and court heard she provided the teen with drugs — including marijuana and cocaine — and alcohol as their relationship progressed from hanging out outside of school to sex.
The teen's mother has previously told CBC News her son has ADHD and behavioural issues.
She said her son, who had been in trouble with the law in the past, was excelling at school after he transferred to Elmwood, when he began working with the educational assistant.
During the trial court saw surveillance video of Dyck buying alcohol with the teenager during school hours, and heard she also let him drive her car and gave him money — part of what the Crown called "grooming behaviour" designed to "accomplish the goal of taking sexual advantage" of the teen.
"[She was] indeed using her position of trust," said Turner.
'Difficult learning experience'
Dyck, who has maintained her innocence, also spoke at the hearing, telling court it has been a terrible ordeal for her and her family but she doesn't hold ill will against the student.
"It has been a difficult learning experience," she said.
Defence lawyer Saul Simmonds told court that as an educational assistant, Dyck was encouraged to connect emotionally with students but it was beyond her capacity to understand the professional boundaries.
She is a low risk to reoffend and has also been traumatized by the experience, he added.
Simmonds asked Justice Richard Saull to strike down the mandatory minimum jail term, but the request was denied.
The defence is asking for the minimum sentence of one year, while the Crown is calling for a sentence of five years.
Dyck is to be sentenced June 20.
With files from The Canadian Press