She was 13 when a middle-aged neighbour turned her into his sexual 'puppet' now he's going to prison

A Calgary man who took the "innocence"of a girl by startinga years-long sexual relationship when he was in his mid-40s and she was 13has beensentenced to five years in prison.

Kelly Feser, 48, a former lacrosse coach, was convicted last month of two counts of sexual interference.

"You took my innocence, my virginity, my childhood, my normal life," wrote the young woman in her victim impact statement read aloud in court by Crown prosecutor Kristi Binns before he was sentenced Thursday.

"After many years of being your puppet, life has been very hard for me," wrote the woman, who is not being named publicly because she was a child victim in a sexual-interference case.

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Feser and his victim were neighbours when he gave her alcohol, marijuana and money in his efforts to groom the teen.

Feser originally faced chargesof three counts of sexual interference with a minor and two counts of sexual assault in relation to two victims but the assault charges were dropped last year.

In September, Mahoney acquitted Feser of the third count of sexual interference with the second victim. She was 16 at the time of the alleged sexual contact and during that time, the age of consent changed to 16from 14.

Binns had proposed a sentence of six to eight years while Feser's lawyer asked Judge Bryan Mahoney to consider a 3-to four-year prison term.

"He has helped a lot of people," said Feser's lawyer,Maureen McConaghy. "He is described as kind, reliable, charitable, hard-working, selfless."

'Life has been very hard for me'

Feser was found to have had sexual contact with the girl two to three times per week over a four-year period.

The victim and her family were in the courtroom for the sentencing hearing.

Feser appeared to have no reaction as the young woman's words were read in court. He did tear up when asked if he had anything to say before Mahoney delivered his sentence.

I have and will continue to turn this pain into something beautiful.- Young woman whose neighbour was convicted of sexually assaulting her

"I know I'm being sentenced to jail time and for me it's about getting back to my family," said Feser, whose 19-year-old son was in the courtroom to support him.

He wept as he was asked to stand while the judge handed down the sentence.

'I will walk with my shoulders tall'

"The victim impact statementand what happened to this individual was not her fault," said Mahoney. "The consequences have been heard by the court and that's taken into consideration in the sentence."

The judge said he considered Feser's family support and his likelihood for rehabilitation, and brought what would have otherwise been a six-year sentence down to five.

Feserwas only taken into custody after he was convicted in September so he only has a few weeks credit for the time he's already served.

As she left the court, the victim had tears in her eyes.

"After all this bad, I have managed to find some good," she said in her statement. "I have and will continue to turn this pain into something beautiful."

"I will walk with my shoulders tall because I deserve to."

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