1st alleged victim of ex-Young Canadians employee testifies at teen sex abuse trial

In 1992, days before a Young Canadians performer's 18th birthday, Philip Heerema slid his hand down the pants of the student after taking him out for dinner, the man now in his 40s testified on Tuesday.

The witness whose identity is protected by a publication ban wasthe first complainant togive evidence at Heerema's teen sex abuse trial.

Heerema, 55, is facing 20 charges, including sexual assault,sexual exploitation, child pornography and luring involving eight young men who were teens at the time of the alleged offences.

The then-teen was in The Young Canadians school for two years ending in 1992 before he headed off to college.

Heeremawas with The Young Canadians for 36 years, beginning when he was a teenage performer and later as an employee. The Young Canadiansperform in the Calgary Stampede grandstand show every year.

He's accused of "grooming" eight teens at the performance school over the years, getting close to them over text and Facebook messages, at times exchanging nudephotosandbecoming physically sexual with some.

• Teen sex abuse trial hears ex-Young Canadians employee Philip Heerema 'never meant anyone harm'

Back in the early 1990s,the witness was part of a tight-knit group of performers senior male singers who had become close with Heerema.

"Phil was a fun guy, he was a cool guy, it was cool to be friends with Phil," said the witness. "It was nice,we had a group of four or five guys. We liked to hang out all the time."

The man testified Heerema would buy him birthday and Christmas gifts cologne and boxers on one occasion and would take him out to dinner.

Days before the then-17-year-old left for college, Heerema took him out for dinner and then a walk around Heritage Park.

The two stopped and sat down, said the witness. Then, Heeremaasked him to lie down. In a non-consensual move, he slid his hand down the teen's pants, the witness testified.

Heerema is charged with sexual assault in relation to that incident.

Video released

Earlier in the day, court viewed an interview between Heerema and a police detective conducted on the day the accused was arrested in June 2015.

On Tuesday afternoon, Court of Queen's Bench Justice LarryAckerlreleased the video to the media.

In the interview,Heerematold the detective he felt like a "monster" but had meant no harm to the teens he's accused of targeting.

"I never felt like I was trying to manipulate them," Heerema tells child abuse unitDet. Paul Ralstin on therecorded interview, which continued to be played on Day 2 of the trial.

"I felt like I was responding to them and it was going both ways I feel like a monster, I feel like a horrible human being."

RalstintoldHeeremathat even though the age of consent is 16,his role with the performance group put himin a position of authority over the teenswhich meant any sexual relationships with the students would be illegal.

But when cross-examining a Calgary Stampede human resources employee,Heerema'slawyer Allan Fayengaged in a line of questioning suggestinghis client was not in a position of authority.

That employee was Susan Garnett,who learned of an alleged code of conduct violation on Jan.29, 2014.

Two days later, Heerema met with Garnett. She testified Tuesday that during the meeting she asked if Heerema had ever gotten too close with any of the students. He said he had.

Heerema disclosed to Garnett that one student told him he felt closer to the Young Canadians employee than his own father, another said he was struggling at home with a family member who was an alcoholic.

By the end of the interview, Heerema had admitted he and a student had exchanged nude photos but denied any physical relationships with the teens, according to Garnett. After the meeting, Heerema resigned from The Young Canadians.

The trialis scheduled for four weeks but will not sit again until next Tuesday.

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