Former TV reporter gets 4 years for sexually abusing minor

A former Global TV reporter in Vancouver has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexually assaulting a boy for years, starting when he was in Grade 3.

The sentence for Ron Bencze is far tougher than even the Crown’s suggestion to the provincial court of two to three years behind bars.

Crown spokesman Neil MacKenzie said it’s clear the sentence was intended to send a message of deterrence and denunciation for the abuse that lasted more than seven years.

“We’ve seen the life of a young person severely impacted over a long period of time and we’ve seen the life of an otherwise apparently normal individual . . . totally devastated as well,” MacKenzie said outside court.

“The court concluded that Mr. Bencze was responsible for his conduct and that he brought this on himself.”

Many details of the case cannot be revealed due to a publication ban to protect the victim’s identity.

Bencze also faced at least eight other charges in connection with the alleged abuse of three minors.

Those charges were stayed after the father of three pleaded guilty to a single count in July.

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