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Paying teenage ladies with booze, medicine and money for intercourse will not end in a legal conviction for a Drugs Hat man.
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Simarjeet Bhathal as a substitute agreed to a 12-month peace bond wherein he should adjust to situations that embody intercourse offender counseling and no contact with kids underneath 16.
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Crown prosecutor Jenny Rees informed Choose Eric Brooks in Drugs Hat Provincial Court docket that Bhathal, 26, paid for intercourse with three totally different underage ladies he met by social media.
The incidents passed off between April 29, 2017 and January 29, 2021, Rees stated.
Two of the women would have been 15 years previous on the finish of that interval whereas a 3rd, the primary paid for intercourse by Bhathal, would have been 17.
Rees stated the primary complainant met him by Snap Chat and had intercourse earlier than finally assembly for that goal.
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“Mr Bhathal did present (the woman) with cash and marijuana,” she stated.
Throughout a second encounter, Bhathal paid two of the complainants for sexual favors.
“The accused supplied them with cash and drink.”
The third complainant was launched to Bhathal by one of many different ladies and she or he additionally had intercourse with him.
“The accused paid (her) $50.”
Regardless of the women’ ages, Rees stated Bhathal was unaware that they had been underneath 16 and unable to consent to the sexual exercise.
“The Crown concedes . . . the accused didn’t have precise data of their particular ages at that stage.”
Rees stated the peace bond will enable Bhathal to obtain counseling to stop comparable incidents sooner or later.
“We imagine the general public may be protected by this. . . peace bond, however we additionally imagine if it isn’t imposed, if mr. Bhathal doesn’t get the evaluation and counselling, that he’ll reoffend.”
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The prosecutor stated the situations imposed on Bhathal for the subsequent 12 months would stop that.
“We definitely wish to shield the general public and we definitely don’t need him to contact any of the complainants in addition to any baby underneath 16.”
Protection lawyer Yoav Niv stated his shopper solely admitted the allegations in opposition to him for the aim of justifying the peace bond, which is simply justified the place there’s a worry that an offense could also be dedicated.
Exterior courtroom, Niv stated his shopper was relieved on the decision of the case.
“This was a fancy case the place the Crown correctly exercised its discretion,” Niv stated.
Bhathal was one among 4 males charged by Drugs Hat police in April 2021 in reference to intercourse offenses involving minors.
Costs in opposition to two of the boys had been later dropped, whereas a fourth man, Michael Beauchesne, pleaded responsible to speaking with a minor for the needs of sexual providers and was sentenced to fifteen months in jail and two years of probation.
KMartin@postmedia.com
Twitter: @KMartinCourts
