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A Sarnia woman in her late 20s has been sentenced to two years of house arrest for sexually interfering with a teenaged boy.
Katelyn Martin was charged with five counts of sexual interference and one count of invitation to sexual touching linked to the teen, whose identity is covered by a publication ban. Martin was 23 and 24 when the alleged sexual advances took place.
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After a trial in Sarnia where the boy and Martin both testified, Justice Michael Epstein returned with his decision in September, convicting her of the sexual interference counts.
“On all of the evidence, I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the incidents described by the complainant occurred,” he said.
However, the judge acquitted her of the invitation to sexual touching count.
Martin’s sentencing, adjourned to get a pre-sentence report, recently concluded with a two-year conditional sentence followed by two years of probation, Sarnia court staff confirmed.
Little can be reported from the trial or the judge’s decision due to the publication ban, but court heard alcohol was a key factor in the verdict as Martin, who denied anything ever happened, was drinking heavily at the time and frequently got blackout drunk before the sexual advances.
“She simply does not know what happened,” Epstein said. “She may honestly believe that she never would have victimized him. But my understanding of her evidence is that she cannot discount it.”
He did give Martin credit for being honest on the stand about her struggles with alcohol and recalled she was extremely nervous and on the verge of a panic attack at times.
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“She was a good witness, I thought. She appeared to be trying to be honest with me,” he said.
The boy was a good witness, too, he said.
“Bright. Articulate. Notwithstanding obvious emotional difficulties,” Epstein said. “He spoke with a maturity beyond his years, I found.”
But the judge added his memory was astoundingly good and it almost felt like it was coming from a scripted account.
“I’m somewhat suspicious of the degree of detail he provided,” he said.
Epstein clarified for the large crowd in the courtroom in September it wasn’t a credibility contest, but an assessment of the evidence to see if the Crown proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The boy was adamant and steadfast about the handful of occasions while she testified nothing sexual ever happened between them.
The judge concluded he found the boy’s evidence compelling, while Martin’s couldn’t raise a reasonable doubt due to her drinking-related memory loss issues.
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