Grandma stepped away for mere minutes, and in that time Jared Charles snatched a little girl from a Prince Albert playground.
A short while later police issued an Amber Alert for the eight year old.
Charles pleaded guilty last year to charges of kidnapping and sexual assault.
“It is horrific and as a parent myself I can imagine how that would feel,” defence lawyer Greg Chovin said.
“But that’s only part of the equation that the court is required to look at. The court also has other factors that it’s obligated to consider on sentencing.”
Charles was sentenced Wednesday to eight years and 90 days in Prince Albert Provincial Court.
The defense had asked for a five year sentence.
“The sentence is what it is,” says Chovin. “He certainly took into account some of the unique circumstances of Mr. Charles’ background, and dealt with things professionally and properly.”
Judge Hugh Harradence took into account Charles’ history in the foster system and his diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder when considering sentencing.
Charles received a credit of 611 days served, leaving six and a half years left of his sentence. Harradence recommended he serve that time at either Willow Cree Correctional Facility or the Regional Psychiatric Centre.
