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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Man used Facebook to have sex with underage teen, gets jail

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 08/28/2012 3:46 PM

A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to four months in jail, in addition to 15 months of time already served, for participating in group sex with an underage girl he met on Facebook.

Stephen Andrews, 23, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of sexual interference. The victim was just 15 when she had intercourse with Andrews and another man inside a downtown Winnipeg apartment last year, court was told.

Andrews had befriended the girl through social media and was aware of the fact she wasn’t 16, which is the legal age of consent in Canada. He met up with the teen at the Millenium Library and then invited her back to his place where they smoked marijuana and eventually had sex, court was told.

Another co-accused who is in his 40s allegedly participated in the incident but remains before the courts and is presumed innocent.

"It really is shameful conduct on your behalf," said Queen’s Bench Justice Chris Martin.

Andrews was seeking an immediate release from custody with a sentence of time served, while the Crown had asked for nine more months behind bars. Andrews has a criminal history including a 2011 conviction for assault with a weapon.

"I feel bad. I learned my lesson," Andrews told court Tuesday.

"And what lesson is that?" asked the judge.

"Stay away from women. Especially younger women," said Andrews.

Andrews was also given two years of supervised probation Tuesday and will be placed on the national sex offender registry.

www.mikeoncrime.com