By Keith Fraser
The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
A Burnaby man has pleaded guilty in a Vancouver court to having sex with more than a dozen underage girls in Cambodia and Colombia.
Kenneth Robert Klassen also pleaded guilty in B.C. Supreme Court Friday to one count of importing child pornography in the high-profile sex-tourism case, believed to be the third such case prosecuted in Canada.
With his lawyer, Ian Donaldson, at his side, Klassen stood with his hands folded in front of him in the prisoner's dock as the criminal counts were read out.
Klassen, an international art dealer, pleaded guilty to six counts of invitation to sexual touching involving girls under the age of 14 in Colombia. The offences occurred between December 1998 and March 2002.
He also pleaded guilty to eight counts of invitation to sexual touching involving girls under the age of 14 in Cambodia in August 2001.
And he pleaded guilty to importing child pornography between August and September 2004.
The victims, who are referred to as Jane Doe numbers one to 14, cannot be identified due to a publication ban.
Klassen, a bearded, balding father of three in his 50s, appeared in court wearing brown pants, a brown jacket and a blue T-shirt.
Prosecutor Brendan McCabe is expected to seek a jail term of 12 years.
Donaldson left the court quickly with his client after the guilty pleas. He was not available later for comment.
The case began when customs officials seized a suspicious package from the Philippines containing commercial pornography. The package was picked up by Klassen, who was arrested in September 2004.
Police later seized 21 DVDs containing more than 200 images of child pornography from a Vancouver storage locker.
The lead investigator in the case, RCMP Sgt. Tom Kurucz, was present in court for the guilty pleas.
"I'm glad to see it come to an end -- obviously, a long time coming," Kurucz said outside court. "It's good to see some closure to it."
In December 2008, Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen dismissed a constitutional challenge launched by Klassen to the so-called sex-tourism law.
Klassen, who has been free on bail, is to make his next appearance in court Thursday to set a date for sentencing.
Kenneth Robert Klassen also pleaded guilty in B.C. Supreme Court Friday to one count of importing child pornography in the high-profile sex-tourism case, believed to be the third such case prosecuted in Canada.
With his lawyer, Ian Donaldson, at his side, Klassen stood with his hands folded in front of him in the prisoner's dock as the criminal counts were read out.
Klassen, an international art dealer, pleaded guilty to six counts of invitation to sexual touching involving girls under the age of 14 in Colombia. The offences occurred between December 1998 and March 2002.
He also pleaded guilty to eight counts of invitation to sexual touching involving girls under the age of 14 in Cambodia in August 2001.
And he pleaded guilty to importing child pornography between August and September 2004.
The victims, who are referred to as Jane Doe numbers one to 14, cannot be identified due to a publication ban.
Klassen, a bearded, balding father of three in his 50s, appeared in court wearing brown pants, a brown jacket and a blue T-shirt.
Prosecutor Brendan McCabe is expected to seek a jail term of 12 years.
Donaldson left the court quickly with his client after the guilty pleas. He was not available later for comment.
The case began when customs officials seized a suspicious package from the Philippines containing commercial pornography. The package was picked up by Klassen, who was arrested in September 2004.
Police later seized 21 DVDs containing more than 200 images of child pornography from a Vancouver storage locker.
The lead investigator in the case, RCMP Sgt. Tom Kurucz, was present in court for the guilty pleas.
"I'm glad to see it come to an end -- obviously, a long time coming," Kurucz said outside court. "It's good to see some closure to it."
In December 2008, Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen dismissed a constitutional challenge launched by Klassen to the so-called sex-tourism law.
Klassen, who has been free on bail, is to make his next appearance in court Thursday to set a date for sentencing.
2 comments:
Lock him up for life to show other foreigners that child exploitation
is crime. He can get away from Cambodia but not in a civilize country.
Wait and see!
He is on bail which show that he will not serve a long time in jail.
He pleds guilty which show that there is some kind of arrangement with the court in my eyes.
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