‘He knew how vulnerable she was’: man gets 7 years for sexually abusing girl

A 52-year-old grandfather convicted of sexually abusing an already exploited and vulnerable child who looked to him for comfort and support has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Kevin Shrutwa pleaded guilty last December to one count each of child luring, sexual interference and possession of child sexual abuse material.

“This vividly highlights why the crime of sexual interference is so incredibly harmful to children,” provincial court Judge Lindy Choy said at a sentencing hearing Tuesday.

“Mr. Shrutwa viewed her only as an object which would provide him with some carnal benefit,” Choy said. “He knew how vulnerable she was. Despite his knowledge of her victimization, Mr. Shrutwa proceeded to take advantage of the situation and abuse (her) for his own selfish desires.”

Prosecutors previously recommended Shrutwa be sentenced to 12 years in prison.

A 28-page agreed statement of facts previously provided to court details a history of sexual victimization that began when the girl was eight at the hands of her aunt and uncle, both of whom were charged with sex crimes against the girl.

Shrutwa was introduced to the victim during a June or July 2023 FaceTime call with the girl’s uncle, Shrutwa’s drug dealer. During the call, the uncle asked Shrutwa if he needed anything, turned his camera toward the 12-year-old girl and said: “How about this?”

The man told Shrutwa the girl was 18 and was available for a “date” for $150.

A short time later, Shrutwa was sent a video of the girl “engaged in sexual activity” and arrangements were made for the two to meet at a Route 90 gas station where they “engaged in sexual touching” in Shrutwa’s car.

Shrutwa and the girl, who was intoxicated by drugs and alcohol when she arrived, exchanged contact information before the girl returned to her uncle’s vehicle.

The girl believed Shrutwa had paid her uncle for the encounter, but he hadn’t, said the agreed statement of facts.

Shrutwa and the girl continued to meet for sex at his home and in his car and a hotel, frequently recording sex acts while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The abuse was reported to police in January 2024, after the girl’s grandmother, who was her legal guardian, and other family members discovered pictures and videos of her and Shrutwa on her phone.

The grandmother told investigators she knew the girl was being sexually exploited by an older man who gave her drugs, but “did not report to police because she thought she could manage it herself.”

“She asked (the girl) why she was doing this and (she) told her that ‘she needs a father figure… because her father is in jail,’” said the agreed statement of facts.

Court heard the girl told her grandmother she trusted Shrutwa and that he helped her with her problems and did not judge her.

Police arrested Shrutwa on Feb. 24, 2024.

While transporting Shrutwa to police headquarters, officers heard him claiming the girl told him she was 19.

“I was lured into this shit,” he said. “What was I thinking? F—-ing idiot.”

Those comments and others by Shrutwa claiming he was trying to help the girl “demonstrate a complete lack of insight into how deplorable his actions were and the harm he caused,” Choy said. “He acts like he was the one who was used.”

Choy rejected an argument by prosecutors suggesting Shrutwa was in a position of trust when he exploited the girl.

“His actions are despicable… but I do not find that the circumstances give rise to a higher duty on him to ensure the well-being of (the victim),” Choy said. “She was enticed by the false kindness he extended to her, but the fact that she felt safe around him and discussed her thoughts and concerns around him does not create an obligation on Shrutwa to act in her best interest.”

Shrutwa told court at a hearing last month loneliness and social isolation during the pandemic drove him to a drug addiction that clouded his judgment.

“I was a functioning addict, hiding it from everyone,” he said. “I just hate myself. It’s ugly. I have three daughters.”

Shrutwa received credit for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to approximately 4½ years.

The girl’s aunt was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison. Her uncle remains before the court.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca