Parken given

jail time
Cadet leader abused 'position of trust'
Nov 14, 2003
Northumberland News

COBOURG - A former Cobourg businessman and army cadet leader will spend

the next 15 months in jail following his guilty plea to three counts of sexual
assault, involving three minors. Before being sentenced by Mr. Justice Hugh
McLean in Ontario Court of Justice Wednesday afternoon, Dave Parken stood,
turned to face the families in the courtroom and apologized.
"I take responsibility. I have remorse and I'm very sorry. I never meant to hurt
anyone," said Mr. Parken who was then led away from the courtroom in
handcuffs.

Family members of the three youths, one 12 the others both 14 when the sexual
assaults began, did not want to comment. They cried and hugged each other
outside the courtroom then went into a meeting with Crown Attorney David
Thompson.
Mr. Thompson also did not comment following the sentencing saying the judge's
decision was "within the range of sentence." Mr. Thompson had asked for a
sentence of two years less a day.
Before sentencing, Mr. Thompson read an agreed statement of facts, as to the
incidents which led to the charges.
The court heard that in 1997, during a visit to a house to watch a movie with the
12-year-old boy, Mr. Parken attempted to rub the boy's penis outside his clothing
but the boy stopped him and excused himself from the room.
In another case, beginning in 1999, Mr. Parken and one of the 14-year-old boys
masturbated together more than 150 times over the next one year-and-a-half
years, during which Mr. Parken, 40, would touch the boy's genital area. Mr.
Thompson said the sexual assaults continued until the boy left the cadets in
2001.
On another occasion, Mr. Parken met with four youths in the armouries, including
the 14-year-old, and asked if they wanted to take part in a hazing ceremony to
form an "inner circle." Mr. Thompson said Mr. Parken allowed the youths to drink
alcohol, then he shaved each one, touching their genital areas.
In asking for a longer sentence, Mr. Thompson said Mr. Parken held a position of
trust over the boys. "He seriously abused their trust as their commanding officer,"
he said.
In victim impact statements filed by the boys and their family, Mr. Thompson said
the two 14-year-olds had considered the military as a career option. That is no
longer the case.
One boy said he has a "loss of trust" and had problems with his relationship with
his parents and girlfriend resulting in counselling.
The other 14-year-old said he had to withdraw from school, had health difficulties
"attempted an overdose and had a sense of shame and embarrassment over
what the accused did to him."
Mr. Parken's lawyer, Meghan Scott, asked Justice McLean to be lenient when
passing sentence, noting none of the acts involved violence and "touching of
genitals only falls at the low end of the spectrum."
She said Mr. Parken attempted to rehabilitate himself while he was on bail by
attending counselling. The lawyer also called for a lenient sentence because Mr.

Parken, and his family, have been embarrassed because of the extreme media
coverage of the case.
She said Mr. Parken had to sell his business, Parken Photo, and his home to pay
for his legal bills. "He has been shunned by the members of this small community
and had to resign from the Rotary club, the Downtown Business Improvement
Area and the chamber of commerce."
"In Cobourg this will be remembered until the day Mr. Parken dies," she said.
Ms. Scott also presented character reference letters to the judge from family and
friends including former Cobourg Mayor Angus Read and community volunteer
Gael Moore. The letters, she noted, talked of Mr. Parken's good character,
honesty and hard work ethic.
"The letters show Mr. Parken has many virtues as well as many faults. He
deserves a lenient sentence," she argued.
She asked that Mr. Parken's four months in custody as well as his time on bail be
considered as part of his sentence.
After serving his sentence, Mr. Parken will be placed on three years probation.
During that time he will not be allowed to be near any public area where there is
likely to be children under the age of 14.