Man who lured children as young as 9 for sex sentenced to 4 years

The Law Courts building in Edmonton. (Amanda Anderson/CTV News Edmonton)

A man who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, child luring and making sexually explicit material available to a person under 16 was sentenced to just over four years on Thursday, but with time served will spend another year and a half behind bars.

Aaron Kowalchuk was arrested in June 2023 by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit.

Police say he was using TikTok and other platforms to lure children for sex, his victims as young as nine years old.

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Kowalchuk’s lawyer had asked for a stay of proceedings or reduced sentence under Section 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for cruel and unusual treatment.

He argues his rights were breached based on things like the amount of time he was given out of his cell, being called names, being urine-bombed by another inmate and not being provided orientation material when he first arrived at the Edmonton Remand Centre (ERC).

Kowalchuk also claims he suffered from a lack of sleep due to the mattress and noise from other inmates.

Kowalchuk also testified the food served at the ERC aggravated his ulcerative colitis and said it took about a year to get medicine for his condition.

Justice Lynn Michele Angotti called Kowalchuk’s crimes “vile.”

She sentenced Kowalchuk to four years and three months with a three month Duncan credit for the treatment he received at the ERC, but she ruled there was not enough of a violation to stay the proceedings.

With credit for 938 days served and the Duncan credit, Kowalchuk will spend another 592 days in custody.

His lawyer, Rory Ziv, spoke to CTV News Edmonton after the sentencing.

“I wanted the sentence to be a little bit lower. Overall, my client will do another year in custody.” he said.

“She looked at the conditions that my client was experiencing in relation to other prisoners at the facility and she felt that his conditions were harsher than what other prisoners were facing, so she reduced his time in custody.”

Kowalchuk will be eligible for parole before the end of his sentence.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson