Luring a young, vulnerable girl over the Internet has landed a Central Alberta man a jail sentence.
Robert Warren Nuttall, 47, of the Rocky Mountain House area, was jailed for 15 months when he appeared in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday.
Nuttall pleaded guilty to a charge of luring a child while other charges of luring, making, printing or publishing child pornography and distributing child pornography were withdrawn.
Nuttall pleaded guilty earlier this fall. Sentencing was adjourned so Judge John Holmes could consider the disposition.
In March 2007, Nuttall made contact with a girl under the age of 16 in the United States.
They chatted on the Internet, racking up more than 700 conversations until July 2, 2007.
The girl told her mother about the contact and the mother then informed United States authorities, who in turn contacted the RCMP.
Special Crown prosecutor Jenny Rees of Calgary told court the girl was vulnerable because of family problems and Nuttall seized on that.
He pretended to be much younger then he was and sent her explicit photos of a young male pretending they were of him.
“He lied about his age to gain her trust,” Rees said.
Nuttall told court he “deeply regretted what I’ve done to my family and the victim.”
Rees argued earlier for a jail term of between 15 and 18 months while defence lawyer Kent Teskey sought a community-based sentence with house arrest.
“This crime is a form of child abuse and is predatory,” Holmes said.
The judge noted that Nuttall’s risk for future similar crime is low but the offence needed to be denounced by the community.
The accused was also placed on probation for three years after his release from jail. He must also surrender a sample of his DNA and his name is placed on a Canadawide sex offender registry for 20 years.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com