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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Third man in group sex assault sent to jail

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 09/15/2012 3:20 AM

A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for participating in the videotaped group sex assault on an unconscious woman.

Mark Sarte, 29, appeared in court Friday morning hoping for a conditional sentence that would allow him to remain free in the community. But Queen's Bench Associate Chief Justice William Burnett said a stint behind bars was needed for the offence.

The victim was 22 at the time of the July 2004 attack and had no idea what happened until a videotape was given to police in 2007. A former girlfriend of one of the men involved had stumbled across the 16-minute video.

Sarte is the last of three co-accused to be punished. Charles Collantes was given a 30-month prison term and Jeffrey Tongol was given 20 months.

The victim was dating Collantes at the time and spent the night partying and drinking at a bar with the three men, court was told. They went to one's home, where the woman passed out.

Collantes committed most of the sexual assault as Sarte and Tongol watched and ran the camera, court was told.

At one point, Sarte and Tongol switched places and fondled the woman on video.

Crown attorney Cynthia Devine told court all the men show "delight, victory and conquest" as they take turns on the woman.

"They are doing something they are clearly tremendously enjoying," Devine said.

The victim submitted a statement to the Crown in which she spoke about the long-term effect of the crime.

"She says this is the last thing she ever thought would happen to her. She says Winnipeg is a small place, that she doesn't know who knows about this," Devine said.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 15, 2012 A14