Kelowna man sexually assaulted girlfriends as a teenager, now he’s been convicted

CONTENT ADVISORY

A BC Judge told a West Kelowna man who sexually assaulted his girlfriend when he was 16 years old that it was only his age keeping him out of jail.

“Let’s be clear, that had this happened if you were of adult age, there’s very little question in my mind you would likely end up in prison,” BC Provincial Court Judge Andrew Tam told a Kelowna courtroom, July 9.

The judge’s statement came after the man, who’s now 21 years old, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his girlfriend on two occasions when he was 16 years old.

His guilty plea came shortly after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting another girlfriend when he was a teenager.

“I cannot understate the seriousness of these… offences to which you’ve pled guilty,” the Judge said. “I cannot imagine how terrifying and horrifying it was for her.”

The court heard how the victim hadn’t reported the sexual assault until three years after it happened.

The incident dates back to the summer of 2021, when the teen, whose name is covered by a court-ordered publication ban because he was under 18, went to Pebble Beach in West Kelowna with his 17-year-old girlfriend.

While there, the teen pulled down his girlfriend’s bathing suit bottom and sexually assaulted her.

“(She) did not consent to any of the sexual touching,” Crown prosecutor David Reznikov said. 

She attempted to push him away and told him to stop, which he did after a minute or two.

Another sexual assault occurred six months later, in January 2022, when the girlfriend was taking an afternoon nap at his house.

While she was asleep, he pulled off her underwear and forced oral sex onto her. She woke up and pushed him off. He was 17 years old by then, and his girlfriend was 17 or 18.

Three years later, she went to the police, and in January 2025 he was charged with sexual assault.

The court heard that the impact on the victim, who is now 22 years old, had been immense.

“What happened did not end when the incident ended. It has followed me into nearly every part of my life and continues to affect my mental and physical health, my relationships, and my sense of safety,” the victim’s statement read.

“I was 17 years old when this began, and this was my first serious relationship. Like many people my age, I was excited about what that meant. I believed I had found someone who cared about me, someone I could trust, and someone I was safe with. I never imagined that someone I valued and relied on would be connected to some of the most painful experiences of my life.”

She developed anxiety and began having panic attacks.

“I sometimes think about the person I was before this happened, and I miss the confidence and ease I once had,” she said.

The court heard that the teenage boy had graduated from high school and attended UBC Okanagan. 

However, he wasn’t allowed on campus as the victim also studied there and had done all his schooling online.

He’d since undergone voluntary counselling and submitted numerous letters of support from the community, including his church. He was working but had recently been laid off after his employer found out about the charges.

He declined to address the court when asked.

In a joint submission, lawyers requested two years’ probation, plus 150 hours of community service, which the judge accepted. He will also have to inform any future girlfriends about the offences.

Judge Tam reiterated the seriousness of the offence, saying he hoped the man had gained insight over the last few years into the harm he’d caused.

“I’m mindful that in these proceedings, I’m hearing about this through a very sanitized way,” the judge said. “The admissions are drafted on paper by lawyers using legal language and they’re read out to me in a fairly sanitized and clinical way. I would imagine if I’m learning about what happened directly from (the girlfriend) the impact would be infinitely more impactful.”

Details of the man’s second case are unknown, but the court heard he has yet to be sentenced for a sexual assault that took place months after these events on another victim.

NOTE TO READERS: If you find yourself or someone you know in need of support please contact VictimLink BC by phone or text at 1-800-563-0808. Victim Link BC provides information and referrals to all victims, as well as immediate crisis response to victims of sexual and family violence.