Nova Scotia sex offender sentenced to 23 years in prison

A serial sex offender has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for assaulting five young girls, including a daughter.

James Michael Snow, 63, was sentenced in Nova Scotia Provincial Court in Kentville on Friday.

The assaults — 18 convictions in all —  occurred between 1984 and 1998, when the children ranged in age from four to 17.

Four of the victims have their identities protected by a publication ban. The fifth, his daughter, Mandy Wood, asked to have the protection lifted so she could tell her story about what happened to her.

Mandy Wood did not submit a victim impact statement, but her interview with CBC News was made an exhibit in the trial and quoted by Judge Chris Manning in his decision.

"I can't understand for the life of me how he could look at someone the age of my children and do what he did. He was my father. He was supposed to protect me. He wasn't supposed to hurt me," the judge read.

Only one of the victims in this case submitted a victim impact statement.

"I suffer from depression and anxiety and I have my entire life," the woman wrote in her statement, portions of which were read aloud by Judge Manning.

"Sometimes it is so bad, I can't even leave my home. This has severely impacted my quality of life at times and it has made it very difficult to maintain relationships. I have harmed myself in the past and this has left permanent scars.... I feel guilty for not speaking up earlier, allowing him to harm others."

'His risk to reoffend would be extremely high'

The judge described Snow's crimes as a massive breach of trust.

"There is no realistic prospect for rehabilitation as things stand today," the judge said.

"Mr. Snow denies everything, he feels there is nothing he needs to change. He has a lengthy record, now, for similar offences. Without programming and servicing, his risk to reoffend would be extremely high."

The judge gave Snow credit of two years and seven months for the time he's spent in jail while his case has made its way through the courts. He also gave him three additional months credit for the conditions he endured while in jail, including extended lockdowns caused by staffing shortages.

In addition to the prison time, Snow's DNA will go in a national data bank, his name will be on the national sex offender registry and he faces a life-time weapons ban.

Snow has a long history of sex offences against young children.