Madam admits exploiting teen

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This article was published 10/11/2009 (5846 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

She took money from a runaway 14-year-old in exchange for a filthy bedroom where the young girl could sell sex.

Now, Peggy Doreen Melquist, 52, has pleaded guilty to living off the avails of prostitution and keeping a common bawdy house.

Today, she’ll find out if a judge says the three months she’s done in custody is enough, and if two other charges against her will be dropped.

A Crown prosecutor and defence lawyer gave a joint recommendation Monday to Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Robert Dewar.

"Clearly, this presented significant challenges to the Crown," prosecutor Mark Kantor said.

Melquist lived at an inner-city home in 2005 and 2006 with her daughter, who was also involved in the sex trade and addicted to crack cocaine. Court heard Melquist took money from a 14-year-old girl who crashed there from December 2005 to May 2006, sometimes with men who paid her for sex.

Kantor said the prosecution of Melquist has been difficult since she was charged in 2006.

She didn’t show up for court later that year and it took until April 2008 before officers arrested her on a warrant.

In 2008, the young chronic CFS runaway did not show up at a court to testify against Melquist, which caused an unexpected delay in the hearings.

Recently, matters got worse when the teen identified as the main victim in the case died.

Kantor said the youth gave a statement to police in 2006 and later testified against Melquist at a preliminary hearing.

The teen told officers she often slept at Melquist’s home when she ran away from her group home and gave Melquist half of the money or drugs she made from selling sex.

She told police she started using cocaine at age 11.

"She was clearly a vulnerable young person," Kantor said.

He later said: "It was quite disturbing and tragic, her circumstances."

A publication ban prohibits the Free Press from publishing any details that would identify the girl.

Court heard that police who searched Melquist’s home found two bedrooms littered with condoms and filthy blankets on the floor.

Defence lawyer Gerri Wiebe said her client had spiralled into alcohol abuse after separating from her husband in 2003 and failed to stop her daughter from living on the street.

"Instead of her being able to help her daughter, it went the other way around," Wiebe said.

Her client has been sober for 18 months, she added.

She is the mother of four other adult children and now goes by the name Peggy Lemay.

The lawyers recommended the judge stay charges against Melquist for procuring and a second count of living off the avails of prostitution.

If the judge accepts, Melquist would be sentenced to six months each for the charge of living off the avails of prostitution and keeping a common bawdy house, to be served concurrently.

Judge Dewar has reserved his decision until today.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca