Man sentenced to four years for sex assault on minor
A man guilty of sexual assault and sexual interference was handed a four-year penitentiary sentence by a Prince Albert judge yesterday.
Bill Mervin Chamakese, a 55-year-old resident of the Big River First Nation, was found guilty of the sex crimes May 12 following a trial. Many details of the case cannot be published to avoid identifying the complainant, but the court heard Chamakese took advantage of a position of trust to molest a girl under age 12 on numerous occasions over a period of several years.
Justice Neil Gabrielson said the crimes were “particularly grave” due to the lasting effects left on the young victim’s mental health.
“She had to be hospitalized because of suicidal thoughts,” Gabrielson said, and noted she admitted to engaging in self-harm as a result of the abuse in her victim impact statement.