Intercourse convictions quashed: choose finds man entrapped by police

A Winnipeg man discovered responsible of luring a minor over the Loads of Fish courting web site has had his convictions quashed after a choose dominated police had entrapped him.

Michael Joseph Lymych was convicted final 12 months after being tried for web luring and making sexually express materials out there to a minor.

Lymych, 36, was arrested as a part of a Winnipeg Police Service investigation, Undertaking Hook, which focused the web luring of minors.

Following his conviction, Lymych utilized for a judicial keep, alleging an abuse of course of by police. Lymych argued police had no motive to consider he would commit a criminal offense, and however for the actions of an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old lady, he wouldn’t have been induced to commit one.

“It’s crucial that the police have a basis for affordable suspicion to supply a chance to commit a criminal offense, for with out that basis, there’s an elevated chance {that a} citizen might commit a criminal offense that she or he wouldn’t in any other case commit.”
— Queen’s Bench Justice Jeffrey Harris

“Confronted with ever extra subtle predators, the police should discover instruments to search out these predators earlier than they will hurt kids,” Queen’s Bench Justice Jeffrey Harris stated in a ruling final week. “Nonetheless, our legislation attracts a line through which instruments can be utilized and won’t sanction instruments that are an abuse of course of.

“It’s crucial that the police have a basis for affordable suspicion to supply a chance to commit a criminal offense, for with out that basis, there’s an elevated chance {that a} citizen might commit a criminal offense that she or he wouldn’t in any other case commit,” stated Harris, the identical choose who convicted Lymych final fall.

Court docket heard at trial Lymych despatched footage of his erect penis to an undercover police officer he made contact with on Loads of Fish and believed to be a 14-year-old lady named “Katie,” telling her: “That is yours now if you wish to date solely.”

Police arrested Lymych days later after he drove to a Tim Hortons restaurant on Marion Avenue anticipating to fulfill “Katie.”

At trial, Lymych claimed he didn’t consider “Katie” was underneath 18, as she stated, and “brushed it off.” Lymych testified a cellphone quantity “Katie” supplied him was related to an escort service, main him to consider she was a part of a rip-off. Lymych claimed he performed alongside to see what would occur.

“The police should not have interaction in random advantage testing. The choice to intrude into a person’s personal life and provide them a chance to commit a criminal offense is justified provided that the grounds predate the measure.”
— Queen’s Bench Justice Jeffrey Harris

In in search of to quash his conviction, Lymych argued the undercover police officer supplied him with a chance to commit a criminal offense when she had no grounds to consider he was concerned in prison exercise.

The officer’s Loads of Fish profile web page recognized her as being 21 years outdated. Lymych contacted her March 10, 2019, and after some small speak about kittens and baking “Katie” informed Lymych she had “by no means been with a man b4” and was “fairly younger.”

“What so that you’re like a virgin?” Lymych replied. “You need to save your self I don’t wish to simply use you for intercourse.”

On the officer’s suggestion, the 2 moved their dialog offline and commenced texting when “Katie” informed Lymych she was 14 years outdated.

“Nicely, we can not have intercourse like ever however I’m not going to cease speaking to you due to that,” Lymych stated. “And you’ll’t ship me nudes solely attractive pics in underwear is okay should you ever get frisky.”

It was solely later that Lymych despatched “Katie” footage of himself and talked explicitly of intercourse.

Harris stated it was the police officer who first launched intercourse into the dialog when she stated she had by no means been with a boy earlier than, at which level Lymych redirected their dialogue to baking.

“It’s (the police officer) who means that they transfer to the privateness of texting,” Harris stated. “Her rationalization that the profile may be shut down when somebody finds out your age leads me to conclude that she needed to, as she did, reveal her exact age with a purpose to present Mr. Lymych one other alternative to commit a criminal offense. If that was not her intent, there would have been no motive to depart Loads of Fish.”

Police should have a “affordable suspicion” an accused is already concerned in prison exercise earlier than providing them a chance to commit a criminal offense, Harris stated.

“The police should not have interaction in random advantage testing,” he stated. “The choice to intrude into a person’s personal life and provide them a chance to commit a criminal offense is justified provided that the grounds predate the measure.”

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca

Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter

Somebody as soon as stated a journalist is only a reporter in go well with. Dean Pritchard doesn’t personal go well with. However he is aware of lawsuit.

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