Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 26/98) - Yellowknife resident Wing Toon Lee was sentenced to an additional 18 months in jail Tuesday by Supreme Court Justice John Z. Vertes.

The sentencing brought to a close the sordid and often dramatic case which centred on gambling, teenage prostitution, drugs and video tape.

Vertes sentenced Lee to one year, to run concurrently, on each of three charges of obtaining the sexual services of a person under 18.

In addition, Lee was given six months on each of three charges of possessing child pornography and one charge of making child pornography.

In making his decision, Justice Vertes noted Lee had been incarcerated since June 1997 and took his time spent in pre-trial remand into consideration.

Vertes explained to the court that the rule of thumb in giving credit for time spent in pre-trial remand was roughly to grant one and a half to two times the equivalent of straight time.

In passing sentence, Vertes also took into account that throughout trial testimony there was no evidence Lee used any force or coerced his victims in any way.

He also said although the women involved with Lee exchanged sexual favors for money to support their drug habits, there was no evidence Lee was involved in the drug trade or exhibited any sexually deviant tendencies.

"Mr. Lee exhibited a callous indifference to the fact these women were vulnerable,' Vertes told the court.

"However, had Mr. Lee been private, if he hadn't paid for it (sex) and taped it, he wouldn't be convicted of anything."

The justice also pointed out it's not against the law to have sex with a 16-year-old if it's completely consensual.

"There has been no evidence of any perverted or uncommon sexual activity," said Vertes.

In addressing the court on the pornography charges, the justice noted "There was no evidence of distribution or sharing. Everything was private for his own use."

The women involved in the case, who cannot be identified, were unaware their sexual encounters with Lee were being videotaped.

During the closing addresses to the court, Crown attorney Mark Scrivens asked for a period of incarceration between three to four years, while Andy Mahan, a friend of the court representing Lee, asked for the court to consider time served in passing its sentence.

Scrivens would not comment on the feeling of the Crown following the verdict, saying only the department would need time to look over the justice's ruling before making any comment.