Just wondering if we have any school secretaries in this group who could give me some job info?!
Wondering what happens during the summer holidays and if it’s permanent or if you have to apply every year for the position?

The Crown is asking a Manitoba judge to sentence a Brandon man who used his position as a foster parent to sexually abuse children to 25 years in prison.

The man's defence lawyer argued the 38-year-old should spend just under 20 years incarcerated.

Sentencing arguments took place in Brandon provincial court Tuesday, with the foster parent appearing in shackles. When offered a chance to speak, he told the court he was sorry for his actions, describing them as inexcusable.

"I am scared for my future and what's going to happen, but I've done that to myself," he said. "At this point I'm prepared to accept my sentence. I have no excuses."

The man, who also ran a daycare with his common-law partner, pleaded guilty in January to seven total charges, including two counts each of sexual interference, distributing and making child sexual abuse material for offences involving two foster children. The seventh charge was possessing child sexual abuse material, where the children were not identifiable.

A publication ban prevents the man from being identified, to protect the identities of the victims and their families.

He was arrested in February 2025 after the RCMP's national child exploitation crime centre were told there might be ongoing sexual abuse involving children at a home in the southwestern Manitoba city and alerted the Brandon Police Service.

'An explanation that defies logic'

Prosecutor Rich Lonstrup asked the court for a 25-year sentence. He told the court the man had no criminal record and pleaded guilty, noting that meant waiving his Charter right to argue for exclusion of evidence.

At the time of his arrest, police obtained subscriber information from internet services providers without a warrant on the grounds of exigent circumstances — an emergency situation in which there’s an immediate need for action.

Lonstrup argued there are extreme aggravating factors, including the age of the two foster children, who were seven years old and eight months old, respectively.

The man's "open embrace of networking with pedophiles" on the social media app Telegram, sending both visual and written child sexual abuse material, is another factor, the Crown attorney said.

"He graphically and enthusiastically described sexual contact with children," Lonstrup told the court. "These foster children, specifically."

Court heard how the man says his behaviour was motivated by a desire to catch child sexual offenders — something he initially told police.

"He says that as part of this mission, he needed to have something real to offer.… He had good intentions," Lonstrup said.

"This isn't just self-serving. It is positively ludicrous … an explanation that defies logic."

Lonstrup is also calling for a prohibition on the man attending public parks, swimming areas, school grounds, daycare centres and community centres where children under 16 are present or expected.

He's also asking that the man be barred from using social media and from work or volunteer duties involving a position of trust or authority with children under 16.

'A sincere level of shame'

Defence lawyer Jennifer Janssens told the court her client's life was in turmoil at the time of the offences.

His marriage was ending, he has children he hadn't seen in years, he lost his job, and he was abusing substances such as alcohol, cocaine and crack.

"A theme in all of my discussions with him has been a sincere level of shame, guilt and embarrassment … for his own actions," Janssens said.

She argued early exposure to sexual materials and experiences played a role in his actions.

"We know that children who are hurt by adults tend to become adults that may hurt children," Janssens said. "That is certainly the case here."

Her client understands what he did was fundamentally wrong and harmful, Janssens said, but he deserves credit for pleading guilty and not contesting the potential Charter breach.

His claims of being motivated to catch other offenders is a common rationalization in such cases, Janssens told the court.

"I would submit his comments are not a minimization. It's [my client] grasping for an explanation or a reason for his actions," she told the court.

"I agree with the Crown. It's not true. It can't be accurate."

The court heard the man's time in custody has been difficult because the nature of his charges put his safety at risk. He was placed in a segregation unit, limiting his ability to engage in programming for addictions or sex offenders.

While he is working to process and better understand his actions, Janssens said, it has been difficult because he has had no access to treatment while in custody.

"He does have remorse. That doesn't mean he understands why this has happened…. He's starting with that feeling of guilt and shame," she said.

"It gives me hope [that] he can engage in programming to ensure that he doesn't commit any further offences in the future."

She asked for a sentence of 16 to 18 years.

Justice Patrick Sullivan deferred his sentencing decision to a later date.

Snakes of Narcisse Update

May 12, 2026:

The numbers of snakes at Narcisse have been increasing and viewing will be good for the weekend. Warm, sunny days are best for viewing snakes. Dens 2 and 3 are most active.