Premier's son found guilty of sex crime
Northern News Services
Monday, June 6, 2016
IQALUIT
Ian Taptuna, the 24-year-old son of the premier of Nunavut, was found guilty of sexual interference in Iqaluit court June 3.
The charge stems from an incident on Feb. 13, reportedly involving a 10-year-old girl after the accused returned to an Iqaluit home after a night of drinking at the Legion.
"There are two different versions of what happened," said Crown prosecutor Tracy Buffalo in an interview.
Buffalo said she couldn't comment yet about what the Crown will be asking for in terms of punishment during sentencing.
"There's a pre-sentence report that has to come in," she said. "We have to review that, take all that into consideration, and then we'll decide."
She said the minimum sentence for sexual interference is 90 days and the maximum is 18 months.
Taptuna's next court date is scheduled for Sept. 2, at which time Buffalo said there will likely be a date scheduled for sentencing.
Taptuna was also charged with sexual assault, which may be stayed at the conclusion of sentencing, Buffalo said.
"This is a very difficult situation for all involved, and we continue to request privacy," stated Premier Peter Taptuna's office in an e-mail to Nunavut News/North.
