Man charged in sexual assault could face ‘long-term offender’ designation

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This article was published 13/05/2014 (4537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba justice officials are seeking a long-term offender designation for a Winnipeg man who terrorized two women at a city dental clinic.

Joshua James Turner, 30, pleaded guilty this morning to two counts of sexual assault with a weapon in connection with a bizarre incident that saw victims aged 36 and 43 confined in different rooms of the clinic in March 2013.

Turner threatened the women with scissors. One of the victims was able to fight Turner off, and he immediately fled the scene. Neither woman suffered serious injury.

Sentencing will be held at a later date. Crown attorney Dave Mann asked the court to order Turner to undergo a psychological assessment while in custody to support their long-term offender (LTO) bid.

If Turner is found to be an LTO, he will be bound by probation-like conditions for 10 years following his release from custody.

Court records obtained by the Free Press show Turner has more than 30 convictions on his record dating back to 2003. They include two prior sexual assaults, numerous counts of harassment and indecent phone calls and multiple offences of breaching court orders.

All of his offences have previously resulted in short stints behind bars combined with probation orders, which have included mandatory sex-offender treatment and counselling.

Turner’s second most recent contact with the system came in February 2010 when he was sentenced to six months in custody for a variety of breaches.

Police have issued several public alerts about Turner in the past.