Local man gets 15 months for child luring

By Peggy Revell on December 14, 2017.

prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell

A Medicine Hat man was sentenced to 15 months in jail Wednesday for luring an underage child through social media.

Aaron Curtis Diaz , 38, had pled guilty to the charge earlier this year but sentencing kept being delayed.

The charges against Diaz stem from June 2016, when he came under investigation by both Redcliff RCMP and the Medicine Hat Police Service. Diaz was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and child luring, with three teenage victims alleged.

Police stated Diaz used social media to contact victims in an attempt to meet them.

In June of this year, some charges were resolved during what was supposed to be a preliminary hearing, with two counts of sexual counsel of a minor and two counts of luring a minor withdrawn, and a restrictive peace bond being entered into instead.

At a separate preliminary hearing, Diaz entered the guilty plea to one count of child luring — in this incident the court heard that Diaz used social media to contact the victims, and went to her home where he kissed her and touched her bottom.

The sentencing comes after a number of delays, mainly due to Diaz failing to secure counsel.

“She was a victim, she was a child. Good luck or good god, it could have gotten much worse,” said Judge Darwin Greaves during sentencing, siding with the Crown, which wanted a sentence of 15 months, while defence counsel requested a sentence of 12 months, which is the minimum.

Diaz will also be on probation for one year, and banned from attending places like parks, schools and other areas with underage children unless in the presence of his wife. He will also be required to register with the Sexual Offenders Registry for 20 years.

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