Dangerous offender designation sought for man who pleaded guilty in 'terrifying' assault

Prosecutors will seek a dangerous offender designation for Sem Paul Obed, who pleaded guilty Thursday to the violent sexual assault of a stranger at her home in Halifax. 

A three-week trial was set to begin on Monday, but Obed admitted to charges of aggravated sexual assault, choking to overcome resistance, and breaking and entering. 

"The Crown didn't concede anything," said Sean McCarroll, senior Crown attorney for the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service.

"There was no negotiation in terms of the facts. There was no negotiation in terms of the pleas.... There was no negotiation in terms of the sentence."

The attack happened in June 2018 on Chebucto Road.

The victim was sleeping when Obed appeared in her bedroom. He was dressed only in a ball cap and basketball shoes. 

"She had no idea who he was," McCarroll said. "She'd never met him before. He was a complete stranger that she found in her bedroom first thing in the morning.

"So [it was] an absolutely terrifying experience for her. She did what came naturally to her at the time, which was to fight back as best she could. Unfortunately, she was overpowered by Mr. Obed."

The woman, whose name is protected by a publication ban, didn't know exactly when Obed appeared in her bedroom, but she believed the attack lasted more than an hour.

Violent assault

During that time, Obed punched the victim multiple times and dragged her from room to room by her hair.

When he left, he told the victim she could call him, and said: "If you call the cops I'm going to find you."

The victim suffered 22 wounds to her body, including scrapes, bruises, bite marks and a cut above her eye that required stitches. 

When police arrested Obed that afternoon, the victim's blood was still on his face.

Police issued a warning when Obed was released from prison in 2014, making public Obed's intention to move to Halifax. They called him a high-risk sexual offender who was a risk to kill or seriously harm someone. 

At the time, he had more than 30 convictions for crimes like attempted murder, sexual assaults and assault with a weapon. 

Prosecutors say they will use this extensive criminal history in a bid to have him declared a dangerous offender. 

If successful, Obed would remain in prison until he's deemed to no longer be a risk to the public. 

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