A Sudbury man convicted of forcing an underage teen to be a sex worker to pay off her drug debt has been given a five-year sentence.
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Paul Castonguay, 46, who is in custody, received the penitentiary term in the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury.
Since Castonguay received pre-trial custody credit of 1,163 days, however, he has 662 days or about 22 months left to serve.
Castonguay was also issued a lifetime weapons ban, a DNA order and a one-year probation order.
In addition, he will be listed on the national sex offenders’ registry for 20 years.
On March 18, 2024, Castonguay was convicted of trafficking a person under 18; financial/material benefit from the trafficking of a person under 18; procuring, recruiting or exercising control of a person under 18; assault-choking; committing an indecent act; and two counts of simple assault.
Justice Pierre Bradley found Castonguay guilty after a trial.
On the financial/material benefit from trafficking a person under 18 charge, Bradley said Castonguay received at least $400 as a result of the girl providing sexual services. He said Castonguay had used threats and violence to ensure she provided those services.
On the assault-choking charge, Bradley said the girl lost consciousness while Castonguay choked her. When she woke up on a bed, Castonguay stuffed food in her mouth.
As for one of the assault charges, the judge said Castonguay elbowed the teen in the face.
The guilty verdicts did not sit well with defence lawyer Denis Michel. He asked to be removed as counsel as he was not prepared to discuss sentencing or order a pre-sentence report to assist Castonguay.
Michel ultimately decided to stay on as his lawyer, however.
Greater Sudbury Police arrested Castonguay in May 2021 following an investigation officers launched in March of that year into historical and ongoing human trafficking.
The trial heard that the then 16-year-old girl had gone to Castonguay’s home because she was a friend of his son.
Castonguay eventually got her addicted to drugs. She left home, moved into his home and they became intimate.
When Castonguay was arrested on a separate matter, the teen returned home and came to realize Castonguay had trafficked her.
She told police that he and Castonguay were doing drugs almost daily and that he suggested she should engage in sex work since he was supplying the drugs they used.
She also owed him a drug debt.
The teen agreed and gave him all the money she made.
The court Castonguay got violent when he became jealous and paranoid about her seeing anyone else.
He choked her when the teen asked for drugs and he became upset.
The teen took photographs of her injuries, such as red marks around the neck and a bloody nose, which were filed as exhibits in the trial.
The defence had argued the evidence the teen gave was unreliable due to her drug use and that she was free to come and go as she pleased.
X: @HaroldCarmichae