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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A 33-year-old Yellowknife man was sentenced Monday to nine months in jail for sexually touching a 13-year-old girl, which Judge Bernadette Schmaltz said could have "devastating effects" on the victim for the rest of her life.

Derek Jason Sangris: was sentenced to nine months in jail.

Derek Jason Sangris was on trial in November, when four Crown witnesses testified, including the young victim from behind a screen in the Yellowknife courtroom. The sentencing was delayed until a pre-sentence report was completed.

In the early morning hours of June 24, 2012, Sangris, who was an acquaintance of the girl's family, went to a Yellowknife residence and asked to use the bathroom. The mother of the victim let him in reluctantly, saying during the trial that she felt "it was disrespectful and inappropriate" to show up at 3 a.m. to someone's house and ask to use the bathroom.

When Sangris went to the second level of the house where the bedrooms and bathroom are located, he went into the 13-year-old girl's room as she was sleeping. He unbuttoned her pyjama top, lifted up her tank top and moved his fingers over her ribs and arm.

The girl moved around to deter Sangris from continuing to touch her, and eventually sat up in bed. Sangris left the room. The girl said she ran to her older sister's room, told her what happened, and they both ran downstairs to tell their mother.

The mother locked the girls in the laundry room and told Sangris to leave. The mother called the police, got her daughters from the laundry room and reassured them.

"My mom comforted, talked to me, hugging me, saying it would be OK," said the 13-year-old during the trial.

The girls found Sangris's black leather wallet by the bed, which was given to the RCMP officer who came to the house in response to the mother's complaint.

On Monday, Schmaltz said the incident was "an exploitation of a young girl" by Sangris.

She said a 13-year-old girl is developing physically and emotionally, and establishing a sense of esteem, self-worth and confidence.

"The sexual abuse of a child can have devastating effects for the rest of their life," said Schmaltz.

The judge said Sangris was a victim of sexual assault when he was young and that he knows the impact it had on him.

"Like you were hurt, you are hurting someone else," she said.

Sangris has served two months and 18 days in jail awaiting sentencing, and has a little more than six months left to serve. He will then be on probation for three years with orders not to contact the victim or any member of her immediate family and to comply with counselling orders. As well, for five years upon his release, Sangris will be banned from public parks, schools, community centres or any space where youth under the age of 16 are present. He also cannot be employed by or volunteer for an organization or business that deals with youth under 16.

Sangris has two prior convictions: assault causing bodily harm and manslaughter in 2003 for the stabbing death of Eddie Paul Beyonnie, for which he was sentenced to five years in prison.

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