Babysitter gets 2½ years for sexual assault of boy, 12

Last Updated: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 | 9:10 AM AT

CBC News

A 40-year-old Halifax woman hired to babysit a pre-teen boy in 2004 and 2005 was sentenced Monday to 2½ years in prison for sexually assaulting him.

Pamela Ruth Collins was convicted of the charges after a trial last June in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. She was to have been sentenced earlier, but missed her court date because she had recently given birth.

The court heard that a sexual relationship began between Collins and the 12-year-old boy in July 2004. Collins had been hired in January 2004 to take care of the boy after school and on weekends.

When allegations of the relationship first came to light, the boy denied everything.

But one month later, his mother found a suggestive instant message from Collins on her son's laptop. She confronted her son and his story changed, leading to the charges against Collins.

The victim and his family, who cannot be named, were not in court for the sentencing.

At trial, the boy testified that he and Collins had sex as often as a hundred times.

Crown attorney Chris Nicholson recommended a sentence of at least two years in a federal prison.

He said the high degree of invasiveness and the breach of trust between a child and a child-care provider pushed the case to the higher level of sexual assaults.

Nicholson read the boy's victim impact statement into the court record.

"It's changed his relationship with other people and his mother," he said.

Nicholson said it's the worst case of sexual assault involving a female offender that he's handled.

"It doesn't get any more serious — sexual intercourse and fellatio with a boy under her care for about 10 months," Nicholson said outside court.

He said the sentence was appropriate and "sends a message to the community that this is a crime that should be denounced and deterred."

Collins denied allegations

Pamela Collins briefly addressed the court, apologizing to the victim and his family. She said she's receiving counselling and hopes that the victim will be able to recover from the experience over time.

In reading her verdict, Justice Margaret Stewart said Collins has repeatedly denied the allegations of sexual assault.

The judge acknowledged that Collins was having marital problems at the time and experiencing emotional distress, but she described Collins's crimes as a violation of a vulnerable member of society.

Stewart said their sexual relationship required premeditation and planning by Collins, and responsibility must be placed on the accused.
 
Defence lawyer Peter Mancini had asked the court for a conditional sentence of 18 months house arrest.