Extortion, Criminal harassment
R. v. S.L.P.
A publication ban applies. The offender is not named.
Sentence and the Crown's position
What the law allows
The offender pleaded guilty to extortion, criminal harassment and uttering threats for coercing four teenaged girls in the East Kootenay area over Snapchat to send nude photos and making them fear for their safety. Crown and defence jointly proposed six years' imprisonment. Justice Schultes accepted the joint submission and imposed six years, finding that the offences called for strong deterrence and denunciation, while giving weight to the guilty pleas that spared the victims from testifying.
In the judge's words
1For these reasons, the gravity of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender, especially his persistence in this conduct despite ample opportunity to recognize its unacceptability, call for a significant sentence.
The record
- Convicted of
- Extortion (CC 346)
- Criminal harassment (CC 264)
- Prior convictions
- 1 prior conviction, 1 violent1
- At the time of the offence
- Not stated1
- Defence asked for
- 6 years in custody1
- Appeal
- Not yet checked
- Counsel
- Crown: K.J.A. DeJong
Defence: D.J. Forbes
Sources
- R. v. S.L.P., 2025 BCSC 2151 Court decision, CanLII, January 15, 2025
[2] The Crown and defence have put forward a joint submission that would result in a total sentence to … of six years' imprisonment, consisting of six years on the extortion count, two years concurrent to that on the criminal harassment, and one year concurrent to that and all other sentences on the threatening.
[2] The Crown and defence have put forward a joint submission that would result in a total sentence to … of six years' imprisonment, consisting of six years on the extortion count, two years concurrent to that on the criminal harassment, and one year concurrent to that and all other sentences on the threatening.
[15] He has a conviction for sexual assault in 2010, which resulted in an effective sentence of three years' imprisonment.
[39] For these reasons, the gravity of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender, especially his persistence in this conduct despite ample opportunity to recognize its unacceptability, call for a significant sentence.
[50] On Count 3 (extortion), a sentence of six years' imprisonment will be imposed. On Count 2 (criminal harassment), a sentence of two years' imprisonment will be imposed concurrent to the sentence on Count 3. And lastly, on Count 4 (uttering threats), a sentence of one year imprisonment will be imposed, concurrent to all other sentences.
- R. v. S.L.P., 2025 BCSC 2151 Court decision, Courts of British Columbia