A former Alberta teacher has been handed his second jail term for sexually abusing a student.
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Brian Leroy Davison, 52, was sentenced Monday to 12 months behind bars for kissing a 14-year-old girl during the 1999-2000 school year at Swan Hills School.
The victim, her voice heavy with emotion, addressed Davison as he sat beside his lawyer in an Edmonton courtroom, describing how he abused her, violated her trust and derailed a promising academic career.
“I feel violated, I feel sad, I feel hurt, I feel betrayed,” she told him. “What you did to me was wrong.”
The girl was a Grade 9 student when Davison took advantage of her during a one-on-one after-school math tutoring session in his classroom. Davison, then 27, asked the girl whether she had feelings for him, then gave her a prolonged, open-mouth kiss while touching her body.
Throughout the rest of the school year, Davison passed the girl secret “love notes” and told her they could be together “when she turned 16.” He told her not to tell anyone what he had done to her.
The victim said prior to the abuse she was a high achiever who dreamed of being a doctor or veterinarian. Afterward, her grades slipped and she withdrew from activities she once enjoyed. She stopped caring about school, quit sports and watched friendships wither away.
She also began to suffer panic attacks and said she still lives with post-traumatic stress.
Four alleged victims
The victim came forward after RCMP announced in 2022 that Davison — then a resident of Fort Assiniboine and teacher at Edson’s Ecole Pine Grove School — had been charged with sexual interference, child luring and making sexually explicit material available to a student under his care.
Davison pleaded guilty to the interference charge in 2023 and was sentenced to two years in jail.
Three additional complainants, including the victim who spoke Monday, came forward after news of Davison’s 2022 charges. A trial was held, and Davison was convicted of a single count of sexual exploitation.
At a sentencing hearing Monday, Crown prosecutor Katie Van Tighem argued Davison should serve two years in jail followed by two years’ probation. She said in the time since Davison committed the sexual abuse in Swan Hills, society’s understanding of the harm done by child sex abuse has “evolved significantly.”
She noted that in 2000, sexual exploitation carried no minimum sentence, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Now, sentences range from one to 14 years.
While Davison must be punished according to the law at the time, the sentence “must still conform to society’s current understanding of the harm and wrongfulness of this offence,” Van Tighem said.
The Crown highlighted a variety of aggravating factors meriting a longer sentence, including Davison’s previous conviction and the fact he claimed the 14-year-old victim was the “aggressor” in the sexual contact.
Court also heard community impact statements from two Edson teachers, who described the damage done to the social fabric in the community of 8,400.
“This community must now question and scrutinize every relationship,” one said, describing how Davison’s actions have created an air of mutual suspicion among teachers.
‘Egregious’ breach of trust
Defence lawyer Jordan Titosky sought a nine-to-12-month sentence, followed by a year of probation. He said his client — who hopes to become a hunting guide after his release — is undergoing treatment while in custody and has strong family support. He has accepted he will never be a teacher again.
Davison, wearing a bushy grey beard and a loose fitting suit jacket, apologized for his actions.
“I never intended to do any harm to anyone, and it’s clear to me I handled the interaction between us poorly and in a very unprofessional manner,” he said. “I sincerely apologize for my behaviour all those years ago.”
Court of King’s Bench Justice Melanie Hayes-Richards said similar crimes tend to carry sentences of six to 18 months. She settled on 12 months in jail, followed by 18 months of probation.
While the “degree of physical interference” with the victim “was small and confined to a singular incident,” Hayes-Richards said, the psychological impacts of Davison’s “egregious” breach of trust have been far-reaching.
She called the victim a “survivor” and credited her for coming forward.
“That is not an easy thing to do,” the judge said. “She did that in order to protect other young people.”
After his release, Davison will be required to register under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act for the rest of his life.
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