Fred Church's sentencing hearing for three child sex crimes has been delayed until Nov. 12.
Church, formerly a well-known businessman, Rotarian and volunteer with several charities, pleaded guilty on Aug. 4 to sexual assault, sexual exploitation and sexual interference with a person under the age of 14. The victims were two boys and a girl who all knew Church in 2001 and 2002, when the assaults occurred. Church had originally been charged with eight sex crimes involving young teens.
Church's sentencing hearing was scheduled for Oct. 6, and several friends and parents of Church's victims travelled to the Supreme Court in Vancouver that day to attend the hearing. But because the hearing did not begin until 11:30 a.m. and the judge was available only for the morning, the hearing ran out of time.
The mother of one of Church's victims wept in frustration outside the courtroom after learning the sentencing would not take place that day.
The Crown prosecutor described the circumstances of two of the crimes. Both were very similar. In each case, Church brought a 14-year-old boy to his home to do some work - in one case, to help with firewood, in the other, to clean barbecues for a Rotary Club auction. On each occasion, Church invited the boy to soak in his hot tub and gave him alcohol to drink; he also smoked a joint with one of the boys. After the hot tub, he offered a foot massage, saying he wanted to practice his reflexology, and then progressed to explicitly sexual acts, including sexual massage with a vibrator.
The boys said they were too embarrassed and frightened to stop Church. One boy said he thought if he tried to stop Church, "I was afraid he might do something I didn't want him to do."
The mother of one victim said her son has suffered teasing from his peers since Church was arrested. She said the four teens who testified against Church should be commended for speaking out.
"These kids were the brave ones who came forward to stop him," she said. "I hope this sends a message to others to help with the stigma. They didn't do something wrong. These kids were the victims."
