Hay River man sentenced to 18 months in jail for child luring

A Hay River man who pleaded guilty to child luring has been sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Jerome Bruha was at the sentencing hearing Monday in a Yellowknife courtroom.

He had already been listed on a sex offender registry for 20 years after a conviction in 2019, but with this offence Bruha will now be on the registry for life.

N.W.T. Supreme Court Justice Sheila MacPherson said the Crown and defence's joint submission for 18 months is appropriate.

According to an agreed statement of facts, the incidents took place in December 2022.

At the time, Bruha was 24 years old when he contacted a 14-year-old girl on Snapchat. He asked for naked pictures and made sexual advances in private messages to her, even after the girl repeatedly told Bruha that she was 14.

Crown prosecutor Morgan Fane said the messages were sexually explicit and direct. Fane also highlighted Bruha's past criminal record, most notably a sexual assault conviction in 2019 for which he served two years in jail.

Given these prior convictions, Fane said "custody is absolutely required."

Bruha's lawyer said his client is remorseful and takes responsibility for his actions. Michael Hansen said Bruha has also taken several sessions with psychologists, who say he has been "sincere and avid in his participation."

Bruha also spoke in court and said what he did was "unacceptable."

"I do not take what I have done lightly," Bruha told the court.

Justice MacPherson said the sentence sends a message of denunciation and deterrence. She said she also took into account Bruha's guilty plea, which prevented the complainant from having to testify. 

A condition of his probation includes that Bruha won't be able to communicate online with people under the age of 18 for three years after his release.

With credit for time already served, Bruha will be in jail for another 11 months.

With this new conviction, MacPherson said it's mandatory for Bruha to be added to the sex offender registry for life.