Lalo victim awarded $250,000

A victim of one of Nova Scotia's most notorious child abusers was awarded $250,000 from the province in a settlement Friday.

The 35-year-old victim, identified in court documents only as L.M.M., was eight years old when he met Cesar Lalo.

Lalo, 69, was found guilty of sexually assaulting 29 boys from 1973 to 1989 while working as a probation officer and social worker in Nova Scotia.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison and was released on parole in September after serving five of those years.

L.M.M. said the abuse began when he was about 13 years old and Lalo was his parole officer. L.M.M. did not tell anyone about the abuse until many years later, and in that time he said he committed crimes and had a deteriorating home and school life.

He then filed a lawsuit against the province — Lalo's former employer.

On Friday, Supreme Court Justice Heather Robertson ruled L.M.M. is entitled to $250,000 to cover past and future lost income, and an additional $125,000 in general damages.

"I'm horribly disappointed with the award because the award doesn't justify the abuse," L.M.M. told CBC News.

"What she [Justice Heather Robertson] awarded me is the same amount that was offered by the government."

L.M.M. went on to compare the settlement that he got with one that was awarded to B.M.G., the first Lalo victim to win a settlement of this nature.

B.M.G., who had been sexually abused four times over three months, was awarded $640,000 in 2007.

"It's not fair," L.M.M. said Friday.

He said he is considering an appeal.

Twenty of Lalo's victims still have outstanding claims against the province for abuse they suffered as children. In addition to L.M.M. and B.M.G., the province has settled with five other victims, paying out $262,000 in total.