Sentencing delayed for woman involved in sex abuse of girl, 7, advertised on Craigslist

Sentencing for a woman from Waterloo, who pled guilty in June to sex abuse-related charges involving a seven-year-old girl who was advertised on Craigslist as available for sex, has been delayed. 

Sonya Lucas's lawyer Hal Mattson told reporters outside a Hamilton courthouse Thursday that the crown and the defence could not agree on details around Lucas's participation.

The crown thinks that there's other things she did, our position is they didn't happen- Hal Mattson, defence lawyer 

There is now going to be what is known as a 'Gardiner hearing,' which occurs during the sentencing phase of a trial as a way to resolve disputes over facts.

"She has plead guilty. She agreed to certain things," said Mattson. "The crown thinks that there's other things she did. Our position is they didn't happen so there's going to be some evidence called."

Mattson says the judge is going to have to make some 'findings of fact' about his client's knowledge in relation to this. 

Last November. Hamilton police laid dozens of charges linked to a child sexual exploitation ring that involved a seven-year-old girl being made available online for sexual abuse and being used for the creation of child pornography.

Police said that the girl was being abused by her mother's boyfriend, who also made the girl available on the online advertising service, Craigslist.

Lucas has a prior conviction from 2004 and is a registered sex offender.

Expected penitentiary sentence

Lucas will be back in court in November. Mattson says he can't say for sure, but says he's mostly likely going to put his client on the stand.

Mattson says he isn't sure what his client will receive, but knows there will be jail time.

"The crime requires that, no matter what her participation was, so she's going to get a significant penitentiary sentence," said Mattson. "It's a very tragic case all the way around."

To date, five people have been charged in relation to this investigation and two have been sentenced.

'Project Links'

The six-month investigation also involved Ontario Provincial Police, Niagara Regional Police, Chatham-Kent Police Service and U.S. authorities.

The investigation began with information forwarded to police by the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.

Search warrants were executed in May 2016 at a residence where electronic devices were seized. Investigators quickly realized they were dealing with a network of people connected in arranging sexual abuse and distributing child pornography. The investigation involved other police agencies and was called Project Links.