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Man who admits preying on teen girls strikes plea bargain

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 07/10/2012 1:00 AM

HE preyed on vulnerable teenage girls -- plying them with drugs and alcohol while propositioning them for sex.

Now a Winnipeg man is on the verge of returning to the community after striking a plea bargain that had a judge figuratively holding his nose.

Gordon McGinty, 32, appeared in court Monday and admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old girl he met at an inner-city house party in 2010. The Crown said the teen has the mental intellect of an eight-year-old and was unable to give legal consent by law.

She was also impaired by intoxicants provided by McGinty, court was told.

McGinty also admits trying to procure oral sex from a 14-year-old girl he met at another party. The teen rejected his advances and reported the incident to police.

"I have a lot of shame," McGinty told court on Monday.

He also has a lot of luck on his side. Provincial court Judge Ray Wyant said he was "begrudgingly" going along with a joint-recommendation from Crown and defence lawyers to impose another four months of custody in addition to 14 months of time already served.

The Crown said there were major problems with bringing the case to trial -- the 14-year-old victim refused to testify, while the 15-year-old girl doesn't believe McGinty did anything wrong and wants to have a long-term relationship with him.

Both girls come from troubled backgrounds and were living in group homes under Child and Family Services care, court was told.

The Crown agreed to suggest a much more lenient penalty in exchange for the guilty plea.

"These are kids. Drinking, smoking drugs, having sex with kids from group homes? That is sick," Wyant said in handing down the sentence.

He told McGinty the sentence was "not even close" to what he would get had the case proceeded to trial and led to a conviction.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 10, 2012 B4