Man accused of sexually abusing a minor in Yellowknife claims he did not know her age

WARNING: This article contains details of sexual abuse and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who has.

This week, the trial of a man accused of sexually abusing an underage girl in Yellowknife continued.

60-year-old John Robson and 30-year-old Alicia Moran have been charged in connection with the 15-year-old victim. Moran is alleged to have arranged for Robson to have sex with the minor in exchange for money.

Robson is charged with two counts of sexual abuse and two counts of extortion of sex from a person under the age of 18. Before the trial began on Tuesday, Moran pleaded guilty to selling sex with a person under the age of 18. She then testified against Robson.

During this week's trial, statements from the victim and the defendant were presented, as well as evidence of text messages exchanged and video recordings. The trial will take place before a judge, without a jury.

According to an agreed statement of facts presented in court, on July 27, 2022, Moran contacted Robson to arrange a sexual encounter with the victim, whom Moran knew personally. Robson agreed and later picked up the juvenile. Moran received $100 as a “finder's fee,” after which Robson had sexual intercourse with the underage girl.

Victim knew nothing about the agreement

On Wednesday, the victim testified that she had no knowledge that Moran had arranged sex between her and Robson.

The prosecutor presented surveillance camera footage to support the victim's testimony. The footage showed Moran dropping the victim off at Robson's car and later Robson and the victim stopping at a convenience store.

Moran, a widow with three children, said she was in desperate need of money to buy crack cocaine when she arranged for Robson to have sex with the teenager. During the trial, both Moran and Robson denied knowing the victim's age at the time of the incident.

However, the victim stated that she had conversations with both Moran and Robson in which she revealed her age.

On July 28, 2022, one day after the first alleged incident, the teenager texted Robson and demanded marijuana. They then had sexual intercourse at the home where Robson was house-sitting, and he paid her an additional $220.

The victim later told a former friend about the incident and realized that what had happened was, in her own words, “bad.”

Robson “shocked” about his age

Robson, who lives in Squamish, BC and is a father of three, testified in his own defense on Thursday, saying he was in the area on business in July 2022.

Robson said he had previously had a relationship with Moran in which he gave her money for sex. He had met Moran three or four times before the incident and knew of her drug addiction, so he avoided further contact with her.

He testified that when Moran contacted him to arrange sex with the victim, he asked Moran the girl's age, to which she replied 19. When Robson met the girl in his car, she asked him to take her home, and Robson was surprised that she did not know about the sexual arrangement with Moran. But he said the victim agreed to the arrangement.

Robson said that although they had discussed the victim's background and whether she was employed (she said no), he had not suspected her of asking her age. It was only the next day, during the second sexual encounter, that the victim revealed she was 15, which left Robson “shocked and embarrassed,” he told the court.

Closing argument

The trial ended on Thursday afternoon with closing arguments.

The prosecution and defense agreed on the events between Robson and the victim that were arranged by Moran.

However, defence lawyer Evan McIntyre argued that there was no standard checklist that Robson could have used to verify the victim's age. After Moran told Robson that the victim was 19, no further concerns were raised about the victim's appearance or behaviour, according to McIntyre.

McIntyre argued that Robson's recollection of events appeared to be clearer than the victim's testimony, which was uncertain on many points. Ultimately, the defense said, the burden of proof was on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Robson did not take reasonable steps to confirm the victim's age, which the prosecution failed to do.

Prosecutor Adam Karbani argued that there were several red flags that Robson ignored when verifying the victim's age, including the victim's statement that she was unemployed, her thin appearance when she undressed, her solicitation to buy marijuana and the fact that it was Moran who claimed the girl was 19, whom prosecutors called an unreliable source and a “sex trafficker.”

Karbani argued that Robson should have done his due diligence and asked for the girl's photo identification.

Judge Andrew Mahar is expected to announce his verdict in the trial on Friday afternoon.

There is support available for anyone who has been sexually abused. You can reach crisis hotlines and local support services through these. Canadian Government website or the Database of the Ending Violence Association of Canada. If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or the safety of others around you, please call 911.