Thorburn handed prison sentence; name to be entered in sex offender registry

Sandy Thorburn, 49, of Toronto has been charged in a child pornography investigation involving teen girls at a Barrie hotel.

A well-known theatre director who pleaded guilty to several sex offences involving young people will serve time in a federal prison.

Sandy Thorburn was sentenced on Tuesday to three years and six months in prison. The Crown was seeking a sentence of three to five years.

The 51-year-old pleaded guilty to eight charges in February, including making child pornography, internet luring and exploitation of a person under 18. He was originally charged with 25 offences.

Thorburn was arrested in 2013 at Barrie’s Monte Carlo Inn, where police say he was found with a 17-year-old girl. Police also say Thorburn approached his teenaged victims online using different aliases and pretending to be a photographer or model scout.

Police have identified five victims between the ages of 15 and 17 through their investigation.

Thorburn’s name will also be entered in the sex offender registry for 20 years.