Former Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Don MacIntyre was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual interference at the Red Deer Provincial Court House on Jan. 11.
MacIntyre will serve his sentence at the Bowden Institution near his home.
The acts, sexual assault involving a minor under the age of 16, occurred five to 10 times between 2010 and 2011.
The guilty plea made on Friday morning was taken into account when it came to determining the length of the sentence.
The Crown asked for a sentence of three to three in a half years in prison, while the defence asked for two years.
The victim, who read an impact statement in court, says she was depressed after the incident, and considered killing herself and self-harm.
The victim said she initially did not know what was happening was wrong or abuse.
“I began to believe that it was my fault,” she read in court. “It hurt my chest and I felt sick to my stomach.”
She says she has regular nightmares and has difficulty navigating relationships as a result of the offence.
“I will never forgive him…” she said.
The Crown said it should be considered a major, or at the very least, a serious sexual interference.
“This should be considered deeply disturbing to any individual,” said the Crown in court.
Psychologist Cynthia Baxter said in a report submitted by the Defence that MacIntyre is at low risk to reoffend and the Defence says he shows reflection and knows what he did was wrong.
When considering the sentence, defence lawyer Ian McKay said the amount of media attention should also be taken into consideration, but this argument was rejected by the Justice.
“Even when he is no longer in a penitentiary he will still be in jail,” McKay said in court.
McKay added his face will be forever known and MacIntyre will have to live with what he has done until the end of his life.
MacIntyre resigned from his position with the United Conservative Party and removed himself as a member of the legislative in February 2018 in wake of the charges.
Initially there was a publication ban in place on the charges against MacIntyre.
Currently there is a ban in place to protect the identity of his victim.
LEARN MORE: Former UCP MLA Don MacIntyre faces sexual assault charges
