A Leamington man is going to jail for one year for Internet luring.
Frank Froese, 35, was convicted of the charge after he had sexually explicit online conversations with a person he thought was a 15-year-old boy.
The conversations were in fact with a police officer.
Justice Renee Pomerance said Tuesday in Superior Court that she wanted to send a message of deterrence.
“You would hope it would send a message to them, but I think sometimes people's sexual cravings get the better of them,” says Crown attorney Walter Costa.
According to court testimony, Froese posted an ad on Craigslist in September of 2012, looking for a boy stating "the younger the better.”
A Windsor police officer responded, posing as a 15-year-old boy named Alex. The two exchanged sexually explicit conservations over the computer, they talked about meeting, but it never happened.
Costa says there weren't any children, technically involved in this, but he didn't know that.
Costa says even though Froese has no criminal record the sentence needed to reflect the serious nature of the offence.
Pomerance too acknowledged there is no victim. In reading her sentence she said because of the internet "children have become more susceptible to violation by sexual predators." She went on to say "I have to hope if it he had been in communication with a real child, he would be as remorseful."
The court heard defence lawyer Andrew Bradie's claims that Froese was sexually abused by his brother, between the ages of 9 and 11. The brother died in a car accident.
Bradie says Froese was both devastated and relieved by the death.
“If you're a victim of sexual abuse you're more likely to become involved in this kind of behaviour down the road,” says Bradie.
Before he was sentenced, Froese addressed the judge saying “I wish I would have dealt with my issues of sexual abuse much sooner. In hindsight unfortunately I did not, I am committed to dealing with everything i need to deal with.”
When he gets out of jail, Froese faces three years of probation. He will be banned from using the internet, nor can he be anywhere near children for 10 years. He will also remain on Ontario’s sex offender registry for 20 years.