(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

A 33-year-old Vernon man who used a fake social media account to pose as a much younger person to lure underage girls with alcohol and drugs will be deported from Canada after being convicted for raping a 14-year-old girl.

Appearing by video at the Vernon courthouse today, Jan. 27, and looking younger than his 33 years of age, Christian Jesson Leceno Tanutan, who is originally from the Philippines, said he had made a mistake and wanted the opportunity to change his life.

Only after being prompted by his defence lawyer did Tanutan then apologize.

"I apologize for the victims and all the people that were hurt," he said.

The court heard how the 33-year-old had posed under the name “Dustin McAdams” on various social media sites and in March 2020 had contacted a 14-year-old girl on Snapchat.

Tanutan and a friend had then driven to Rutland to meet the girl and three of her friends in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant at 1 a.m. The girls were already drinking and Tanutan gave them more alcohol and invited them back to a "party" at his home in Vernon.

When back at his house in Vernon one of the 14-year-olds became “significantly intoxicated” and he picked her up and carried her into his bedroom and took off her clothes.

He then raped her.

The girl and her friends managed to leave Tanutan's home and called her youth worker, where the victim was living.

"All four of these girls were street entrenched," Crown lawyer Margaret Cissell told the court.

Tanutan was arrested 10 months later and has remained in custody ever since.

He pleaded guilty in September 2021, after a DNA sample found on the girl's underwear was confirmed as his.

Cissell told the courts Tanutan had deliberately portrayed himself as a much younger person specifically to seek out underage girls for sex. He had then given them alcohol and drugs.

While the court proceeding only involve one case, Tanutan was facing eight other charges for sexual assault and luring underage victims. But the charges involving three other victims were stayed by Crown prosecutors. No explanation was given as to why the Crown was not proceeding with the charges.

Pre-sentence reports read out to the court suggest that Tanutan's behaviour of luring young girls with alcohol and drugs happened on more than one occasion.

The court heard how Tanutan had sexist and misogynistic attitudes and was at a moderate risk to re-offend.

The Crown asked for three years jail, while the defence asked for a two-year sentence.

Law in Canada indicates that anyone convicted of an offence that could lead to a 10-year prison sentence will be deported if not a Canadian citizen. As Tanutan is a permanent resident and was guilty of a crime that could see such a sentence, he would be deported regardless of what sentence he received.

Defence lawyer Glenn Verdurmen referred to Tanutan's deportation as a "very collateral consequence."

The court heard how Tanutan had a bachelor of science degree in the Philippines and was a Licensed Practical Nurse. He'd left the Philippines when he was 19 years old to live with his dad in the U.S.

At age 25 he'd moved to Canada and became a permanent resident.

At some point, he'd moved to Vernon and became addicted to methamphetamine.

The court heard he'd married in 2016 but the marriage fell apart because of his drug addiction and consistent "hookups."

While he was a qualified nurse in the Philippines, he'd failed the nursing exam in the U.S. and regularly lost employment in Canada due to his drug addiction.

He blamed his addiction to meth for his actions with the teenagers.

The court heard how he'd been sexually abused himself by the three men who had paid him when he was 14 years old.

Justice Allan Betton said that sexual abuse caused "massive problems" for victims and that it was "somewhat ironic" that Tanutan, having been sexually abused himself, had gone on to sexually abuse others.

Tanutan wiped tears from his eyes while the Justice read out his sentence.

Justice Betton gave him a further 16 months prison time.

"I hope your future is far brighter than the past has been you seem like an individual that has that potential," the Justice told Tanutan. "My hope is as you seem to have done over the past year you can make the most of this time and learn as much as you can from it and lead a productive healthy life once out of custody."

While it's not clear which country Tanutan will be deported to once he's finished his sentence, he will be deported from Canada.

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