A Vancouver man has been convicted of several sex-related crimes involving teen girls after meeting the first of them via the Snapchat app.
On Jan. 8, Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Patricia Stark convicted Jerome Taylor of sexual assault and sexual interference in connection with 2020 incidents.
He had been charged with sexual touching, two counts of sexual assault, assault by choking and sexual interference.
Stark said Taylor had met the first girl — A.B.— on Snapchat and asked if she was interested in sex.
A.B., who said she was 17, was in fact 13.
He was 41.
The court heard they had sex several times, and that he had not asked for her confirmation of her age.
They consumed marijuana and alcohol supplied by Taylor, the court heard.
“She could not legally consent,” Stark said, later adding Taylor should have taken reasonable steps to confirm they were over the age of consent. She said the Crown had proven he had failed to take such steps.
“I find Mr. Taylor guilty of sexual assault of (A.B.),” Stark said, adding she could not consent due to her “high level of intoxication.”
The judge found Crown had proven Taylor had used part of his body to touch A.B.’s body for a sexual purpose.
“I find Mr. Taylor guilty of sexual interference,” Stark said.
Later, A.B. went with her friend C.D. to Taylor’s house after he picked them up in an Uber.
Taylor believed C.D. was 17. She was 14. The three of them also consumed marijuana and alcohol that Taylor supplied.
Taylor admitted to supplying the girls with intoxicants.
The judge said C.D. testified Taylor had grabbed her buttocks and that they had sex.
C.D. said Taylor was naked and had a condom on.
C.D.’s evidence of seeing Taylor naked and having no visible marks was rejected due to the photographic evidence of his open-heart surgery and resulting scars and tattoos.
Her evidence that he was uncircumcised was rejected on the basis of a doctor’s note saying Taylor is circumcised.
Stark found the Crown had not proven the sexual assault and sexual interference against C.D.
“I must acquit Mr. Taylor,” she said.
The case now goes to March 14 for sentencing submissions.
