A Sudbury man has been found guilty on the eight charges he faced, including trafficking a person under 18. The decision in the case was delivered March 18.
Paul Castonguay was also charged with receiving a financial or other material benefits – derived directly or indirectly from the trafficking of a person; procuring; material benefit from sexual services; assault causing bodily harm: chokes, suffocates or strangles; two counts of assault; indecent acts; possession of property obtained by crime (under $5,000) and breach of undertaking.
Castonguay, through his defence attorney Dennis Michel, told Justice Pierre Bradley that he wished to concede guilt on the charge of indecent acts. A video showing Castonguay exposing himself to the public was offered as evidence at his last appearance on Jan. 3.
Bradley found Castonguay guilty of all the other charges.
Crown Attorney Mathieu Ansell called three witnesses and entered several exhibits. On Jan. 3 the court heard from the complainant, as well as Det-Cst. Stephen Bradley, the lead investigator on the case. Another Crown witness testified Feb. 26.
There is a publication ban on testimony from the victims in the case, as well as their identities.
Michel called no witnesses on behalf of Castonguay before resting his case.
In his Jan. 3 testimony, Bradley noted there may have been other victims.
Michel questioned Det.-Cst Bradley about follow-up investigations regarding other potential victims of Castonguay, 10 of whom were mentioned in the testimony of the complainant.
The GSPS detective said that as most went by a nickname or working name, including the accuser, tracking potential victims proved difficult.
In his decision, Justice Bradley said he accepted the complainant was a believable witness and accepted her evidence, adding that the witness testimony was simple and clear, that she acknowledged flaws in her evidence and showed a willingness to answer questions in a forthright manner.
On that basis, Bradley found that all elements of the offenses Castonguay was charged with were met.
The most serious charge against him was trafficking in persons under the age of 18.
The judge found that Castonguay told the complainant how much to charge for the sex work, and he fed her drug addiction in order to exert influence over her.
He knew the complainant was under 18 years of age.
The complainant testified they met Castonguay when they went to his house to talk about forming a band with his son. Castonguay obtained the complainant’s number and promised that he could give them singing lessons.
When the complainant returned to his residence for that purpose, he instead coaxed the complainant to try drugs, including by blowing smoke from crack cocaine into their mouth. The complainant testified they became addicted to drugs soon after.
The complainant testified that they were dependent on Castonguay through the drug addiction that he fed, as well as for food and shelter once they began living with him, and dropped out of school. The complainant testified that while the relationship began as what they would consider healthy, approximately a month or two later, Castonguay became threatening and violent, and the complainant feared for their safety.
The complainant said that Castonguay made them believe that they would be in danger if they didn’t pay his drug debt, and that the complainant owed Castonguay as he had been supplying the complainant with drugs.
The judge found that Castonguay took advantage of her age and vulnerability.
As Bradley accepted the evidence for the initial charge of trafficking, he also found Castonguay guilty of the other seven counts against him.
Bradley then invited the Crown and defense to proceed to sentencing but the defense objected, asking for more time to prepare, which was granted.
The sentencing date will be set in assignment court on March 28.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com