Former priest David Norton to be sentenced Friday

Victim impact statements were read Monday morning at the sentencing hearing for former Anglican priest David Norton, found guilty of sexually abusing boys. 

Norton, 72, was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault in November. 

Norton abused four boys from Chippewas of the Thames First nation in the 1970s and 1980s.

During an emotion morning, the court heard impact statements from the four victims, along with family and the community.

"My spirit was shattered," shared one of the victims.

The victims recounted lives of trauma, substance abuse, suicide attempts and struggles to have meaningful relationships with their children, family and friends. They spoke of decades of struggle stemming from the abuse they suffered at the hands of Norton.

"Honestly, I just couldn't wait to look him in the eye," one of the victims told CBC News. "I wanted to see his reactions, I wanted to see if he felt any kind of guilt at all and I wanted to stop him from being able to hurt any other kids."

During his impact statement, the victim looked directly at Norton, who maintained a steady gaze at the floor. The victim told the court that his life and dreams for something great ended after the abuse and that he was never the father to his own children he should have been. "You stole that from them, you stole that from me," he charged Norton.

A publication ban is in place to protect the identity of the victims.

Another victim's daughter shared an impact statement about how her father screams in the night, suffering from night terrors. She said he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and sleeps during the day, making it difficult for him to spend time with his family.

"It was a very emotional moment for me," said the victim. "I had no pre-indicators of what she had wrote or what she was planning on saying, so that was very impactful being the first time I heard speak of any of this. It was was very emotional to see the impact that it had on her."

The victim, who was 10 when he was abused, fought back tears as he talked about how difficult it was to tell his wife what happened to him. He lived a life riddled with self-destruction and self-blame, and repeatedly tried to take his own life. He said the trial is helping him find healing.

"Over the course of this, even the testimony has been very emotional and you take that on as part of your healing journey as you move forward in all of this," said the victim. "To be able to say the impacts of what a lifelong impact of child abuse is and the things that we do to protect our 10 year old selves, to bring that before the courts and say this is what happened."

Chief makes statement

Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Chief Myeengun Henry read an impact statement composed by the community. He told the court Norton's actions created trust issues with families and fear for the children. He said the full details of what Norton did the boys might not ever be known and that the guilty verdict doesn't fix everything.

"It was unbearable," said Henry about hearing the victims' impact statements. "[The] statements will linger in my life forever and I just give hope that these victims find a way in life, that they can find peace."

Last fall, the four men testified about being sexually abused by Norton as prepubescent boys. Norton showed the boys attention and affection, taking them to movies and parks, letting them drink sugary drinks and play video games in his London apartment.

During sleepovers, though, the court heard things took a sinister turn. During testimony, the victims described being fondled and waking up with a sticky substance on their body that they later realized was semen. 

Norton denied the abuse but was found guilty by Justice Lynda Templeton who said Norton's evidence "simply did not ring true."

At the end of Monday's hearing, Templeton spoke directly to the victims. She spoke about reacting negatively and positively to the abuse they suffered. She said reacting positively is turning the abuse into a life lesson, where a victim can teach us how to empathize with other victims, to listen, support and comfort other victims, and how to respond to other victims.

"I am hoping beyond hope that your reactions will be positive and used for the benefit of your community," said Templeton.

Norton is currently serving a four-year prison term for sexual interference on a fifth boy, from outside of Chippewas of the Thames First nation.

Norton was a well-respected King's University professor when he was charged in 2015.

In a joint submission, the Crown and defence are asking for a nine year sentence for each count, to be served concurrently. They are also asking that Norton be prohibited from any place where children 16 and under are present, along with a ban from the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation reserve.

Norton will be sentenced on Friday.