Yellowknife (Dec 05/03) - A Yellowknife teen has been sentenced to four months in jail for fondling three young girls during a series of sleepovers between May and October of 2002.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault in youth court, Wednesday, and will serve the term at a young offenders facility.

Chief Judge Michel Bourassa rejected a joint recommendation from the Crown attorney and the youth's lawyer seeking one year probation for the assaults.

On top of the four-month jail term, the youth will spend 18 months on probation following his release.

During the sentencing hearing, Bourassa reportedly made a number of references to a 16-year-old in a different case who pleaded guilty to two violent sexual assaults in June of this year.

That youth -- neither youths can be named -- appeared in court earlier this week as a Crown attorney asked the court to designate him a long-term offender.

In that case, the Crown and the youth's lawyer recommended a joint sentence of six years in custody.

Bourassa said sexual assaults were all too frequent in the North.

According to an agreed statement of facts, the assaults took place on three separate occasions between May and October of last year.

The victims were friends of the teen's younger sister and had been invited to the girl's house for sleepovers.

The defence is considering an appeal of the four-month sentence based on the principles of the Young Offender's Act. That piece of legislation prefers rehabilitation and says incarceration should only be used as a last resort.