Former Homeless Foundation board member who sexually preyed on addicted teens gets 5-year sentence

The former Calgary Homeless Foundation board member who sexually preyed upon vulnerable drug-addicted teens has been sentenced to five years in prison.

In the middle of his trial in August, Robin Wortman, 65,pleaded guilty to luring for sexual exploitation, two child pornography charges and drug trafficking.

In total, there were nine underage victims.

On Wednesday, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Blair Nixon imposed a five-year prison sentence. Wortman will be on the sex offender registry for life.

"Justice Nixon has imposed lifetime sanctions against Wortman that allow a measure of comfort so the community will be safeguarded againsthis predatory behaviour," said prosecutor Donna Spaner.

• Former Homeless Foundation board member pleads guilty to luring, child pornography and trafficking charges

Using his "father like" status, Wortman exploited young people who weredecades his junior, Spaner andSarah Goard-Bakerwrote in their sentencing brief.

Wortmanused social media and text messages to communicate with underage boys many of them homeless and addicted to drugs and lure them into sexual relationships and/or encourage the use of drugs.

In one case, he used his victim's drug use to facilitate a sexual relationship.

The 65-year-old took videos of his victims, and police found hundreds of images of other young people who were nude and/or engaging in sexual acts.

Victim-blaming

In handing down the sentence, the judge said Wortman groomed his victims and had little insight into the impact his crimes had on the young people.

"He engages in victim-blaming, stating more than once that 'everyone who came to my house was aware of what was happening.'"

In the agreed statement of facts filed last summer, Wortman admitted to having in excess of 200 of those types of images on his electronic devices.

Over the course of several months in 2016 and 2017, he shared and sold marijuana and methamphetamine to underage teens.

In 2017,Wortmanwas found not guilty of raping a homeless teen even though the judge said she did not believe his testimony. During the trial, Wortman admitted to doing drugs with teens who were 50 years his junior.

Last September,Wortmanwas found guilty of four breach charges for attending an event where children were present, using theinternetand for having a cellphone.

In January 2019, Wortman was convicted of obstruction of justice and breaching two no-contact orders for trying to convince one of his victims to recant his evidence to police while the two were both being held at the Calgary Remand Centre.

This marks the end of Wortman's court cases,save for appeals.

Over the last several years, Wortman has been through nine lawyers, four trials and many adjournment applications.