WARNING: The details contained in this article are graphic and disturbing.
The day before learning how long he will be jailed, Wade Stene, 39, addressed the court.
Stene pleaded guilty in February to kidnapping, confining and sexually assaulting an eight-year-old Edmonton girl, as well as unlawfully inviting a person under the age of 16 to touch her body in March 2020.
The girl was so scared that the court heard that she thought the stranger was going to eat her and kill her.
Stene spoke with the girl’s family on Tuesday. In her speech, she apologized several times.
READ MORE: Family of sexual assault and kidnapping survivor shares emotional trauma at sentencing hearing
“Honestly, I never intended for any of this to happen and I am so sorry that it happened, I am deeply and honestly sorry.”
He went on to speak about remorse, a contentious point on which the Crown and the defense disagree, specifically whether it should be considered a mitigating factor in sentencing.
“People in court have tried to claim that I only felt remorse after the fact, but the truth is that I felt remorse during the act. It’s what made me stop whatever evil possessed me from doing what I did.
“He had me take her close to her house so she could safely return to you,” Stene said.
But the Crown disputed that immediate remorse, noting that Stene stowed away the girl’s underwear, put it in an urn and took a lewd photo with her the next day.
He also denied any involvement in the crime when he was later questioned by police.
READ MORE: Edmonton man pleads guilty to kidnapping and sexually assaulting 8-year-old girl
The Crown is seeking a 20-year sentence, while the defense says 10 would be more appropriate.
The two sides differ on some key points, including whether or not the crime was premeditated.
Crown prosecutor Keith Nicholls says the fact that Stene was wearing a respirator mask when he grabbed the boy, and already had the back seats of his vehicle lowered, a white blanket over him and duct tape ready to be tied to the kid it’s like having a rape kit ready.
Defense attorney Mark Jordan originally said the mask was worn because it was a pandemic and his client was health-conscious. But when the judge noted that no one was wearing a mask in March 2020, he said it was a mask Stene wore on chemical work.
Nicholls noted that Stene removed his mask during the actual assault.
Jordan also explained the position of the white blanket, the duct tape, and the seat, saying that his client had moved several boxes recently, using the tape to close them.
READ MORE: Man charged with kidnapping and sexual assault of 8-year-old girl in West Edmonton
Another point of contention is whether, and if so, by how much, Stene’s sentence should be reduced due to vigilante protests that took place outside his home after he was released on bail in the victim’s neighborhood.
Stene said he and his mother were threatened, things were thrown out of windows, a coffin was placed on the edge of the property and he feared so much for his safety that he asked to be returned to jail.
In his final words to the victim’s family on Tuesday, Stene apologized.
“I hope that one day, not now, but one day in the future maybe you can forgive what I have done to you, your family and your daughter. I’m sorry,” she said.
In response to his speech, the victim’s family sent a statement to Global News.
“It was incredibly difficult to hear (him) speak, to see him look us in the eye and say that he had remorse during ‘the act’…
“True remorse accepts appropriate consequences.”
The statement continues: “If Wade Stene gets the sentence he asks for, his victim will be 16 years old when he is released.
“The court has a responsibility to make the sexual assault of a child a very serious crime with very serious consequences. Anything less would be an insult to everything we’ve been through.
“As for forgiveness, we think it’s possible, but it doesn’t feel possible right now.”
The judge is scheduled to give his decision on Wednesday afternoon.
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