Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 13/02) - A 22-year-old man convicted of sexual interference has been sentenced to another year in prison for sending threatening letters to his young victim from jail.

Lanny Kippomee of Pond Inlet was sentenced to a total of 22 months in Invuik court last August for sexual interference, assault with a weapon and escaping police custody. Kippomee was 20 at the time and the victim was only 12.

At the time of the ruling Kippomee was ordered by the court not to contact the victim, who is now 14, directly or indirectly.

In Yellowknife territorial court Tuesday Judge Michel Bourassa heard that Kippomee sent threatening letters to the victim from the Yellowknife Correctional Centre. The communication between Kippomee and the victim was discovered after an anonymous tip to the RCMP.

The court heard direct passages from several letters written by the accused to the girl, with whom he fathered a child.

One passage read, "I've got plans for you when I get out. It may seem like I hate you, but I love you ... I'll never take no for an answer. If you're cheating, I will kill you."

As a result, Kippomee was charged with disobeying a court order and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. The second charge was dropped by Crown prosecutor Sue Kendall.

Bourassa called the incident "very serious" and noted the victim "must be incredibly fearful of (Kippomee)."

Bourassa said the contents of the letters were "extremely disturbing" and said Kippomee's thinking is "messed up" and "sinister."

"It's clear he's trying to control and manipulate her," he said. "People would consider this terrifying."

Bourassa handed Kippomee another year to be served after his current sentence.