Former Sturgis teacher Trevor Latham, recently appeared in Yorkton Provincial Court to plead guilty on a summary charge of sexual assault.
The complainant, who cannot be named due to being under age, alleged that after a night of having drinks with her father on January 10, 2013, Latham entered her room and asked to lay down in her bed. After getting up to check if her father was sleeping, he again came into her room, and the second time he put his arm around her hips, began rubbing her stomach and began kissing her, saying "It's okay." She said it was four or five kisses, described as pecks on the cheek. She asked him to stop, saying "you're an adult," to which he replied "you're not?" After she told him to stop, he got up and roamed around the house. She said he entered the room three or four times during the night.
Latham did not dispute the charges, saying that while he did not remember the evening he did not believe that the girl would lie, and he recognized that he did wake up in her bedroom, a place where he knew he should not have been.
In a victim impact statement, the girl's father said that since the incident, she has been unwilling to sleep in her own room, especially if there is a male guest in the house. As well, she quit a swimming program because she did not feel comfortable participating in it anymore, and also finds herself worried when she thinks men are looking at her on the street.
The prosecution has asked for a DNA order due to it being a primary designated offense, and for Latham to comply with the sex offender registry. He also argued that a discharge would be inappropriate in this case, with aggravating factors being the young age of the complainant, that the offense happened in her own bed, in her own home, and that while it was not a traditional breach of trust, his previously close relationship to the family was also an aggravating factor.
The defense argued for a conditional discharge, with alcohol counselling and community service. He suggested that the conduct was an aberration rather than a consistent problem, and said that with alcohol being a factor, Latham's efforts to abstain from alcohol reduce the likelihood of him re-offending. He also said that Latham received letters of support in favor of his character, and that the loss of his career was also a consequence of the incident, which he said might be a mitigating factor.
Latham apologized to the family at the sentencing, and also said that it has become apparent that alcohol has caused problems in his life.
Judge D. C. Chow reserved his decision until October 11.
