A Crown prosecutor has asked that a former Capilano College instructor and acting coach be sent to jail for between eight and nine years for sexually abusing five girls over a period of several decades.
Crown counsel Elliott Poll asked Justice Paul Williamson on Friday to sentence Michael Berry, 73, to federal jail time for the sexual abuse dating back over 30 years.
In April of last year, Williamson found Berry guilty of sexual offences against four of the victims. Berry previously pleaded guilty to a charge of gross indecency in relation to a fifth girl.
In asking for a lengthy jail sentence, Poll noted that most of the girls were between 10 and 13 when they were sexually abused and that Berry was in a position of trust with them.
They all came from deprived backgrounds and came to rely on Berry for food, money and emotional support.
One girl was touched sexually while posing for a photo session. Others were filmed dancing, posing naked and engaging in sexual acts with Berry and each other.
In several cases, Berry watched pornography - including child pornography - with his victims, telling them it was normal. In some cases he paid girls for performing sexual acts.
In asking for the jail sentence, Poll told the judge denunciation and deterrence should be the key considerations in sexual offences involving children. A jail sentence serves as a "collective statement that this offender's conduct has encroached on our society's basic code of values," he said.
Poll said Berry's crimes were aggravated by the frequency of the abuse, the number of victims and the lengthy period of time over which it happened. It was made worse by the fact Berry recorded his victims and exchanged sex for food and money, knowing their backgrounds, said Poll.
Poll added Berry still hasn't expressed remorse for what he did.
"He has not only failed to take responsibility for his actions, he blames the victims. The tone of his statements to the probation officer and psychologist is that he is the victim," said Poll.
Poll also called a witness from federal Corrections, who told the judge there are facilities for offenders with serious medical problems. Berry has been suffering from a variety of health issues since his arrest in May 2005.
In a victim impact statement, one of Berry's victims - now an adult woman - said his actions caused her to become distant from her family and resulted in her becoming distressed at any uninvited touch - even well-meaning hugs from friends.
Other victims spoke of rifts created in their families and not being able to trust people.
Berry's lawyer asked for a conditional sentence - to be served under house arrest - of two years less a day, plus two years' probation, citing his serious health problems.
Williamson has not yet handed down his sentence.
Follow us on Twitter: @NorthShoreNews
