A Richmond man has been jailed for a total of 12.5 months for sexual interference and two months for obstructing police.
Richard (Ricky) Charles Reed’s total sentence was 38 months. The 12.5 months is a result of credit for time served before sentencing. The sentence came after guilty pleas. Reed was born in 1998 and was 22 years old at the time of the offences.
Justice Jeanne Watchuk’s April 6 decision said Reed met a then-14-year-old girl online and later began a sexual relationship in February 2020. Watchuk said the girl, X.Y., told Reed her age.
On Dec. 27, 2020, X.Y. went to a downtown Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»apartment to spend time with Reed. Again, they had sex.
While there, she looked at the contents of Reed’s cellphone without his consent. This upset Reed and an argument ensued during which she believed that Reed took her cellphone.
Between Dec. 28 and Dec. 30, 2020, X.Y. and Reed communicated via iMessage and reconciled.
On Dec. 30, X.Y. helped Reed and two other men to move plastic storage containers from the apartment to another apartment on Main Street.
The other men left after which X.Y. and Reed argued and again had sex, the court heard. They returned to the downtown apartment and had another argument. Reed left.
Unable to locate Reed, X.Y. used a bystander’s cellphone to call the police.
She gave a statement to officers and went to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»General Hospital. Vaginal swabs were obtained from X.Y. during the exam and submitted to the RCMP lab.
On June 23, 2021, police obtained a DNA sample from Reed pursuant to a DNA warrant.
“The RCMP lab concluded that Mr. Reed’s DNA matched male DNA found on (X.Y.’s) vaginal swabs,” Watchuk said.
When two constables tried to arrest Reed in the West End, Reed ran. Police used rubber bullets and stopped Reed to arrest him.
On Reed’s phone, police found multiple images of the pair having sex.
Among the phone files was a video of X.Y. and Reed laughing and talking about starting a sexual relationship when she was 14.
Reed’s criminal record includes 17 breaches of a court order; four convictions for assault, one of which was against a peace officer; one conviction for robbery with an imitation firearm; four convictions for wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer; four convictions for uttering threats; and one conviction for attempted obstruction of justice.
While in custody, Watchuk said, Reed committed attempted obstruction of justice; breached an order to have no direct or indirect communication with X.Y. while in custody; and uttered threats against Crown prosecutor Jennifer Dyck.
“The offences of attempted obstruction of justice and breach of a non-communication order are a result of Mr. Reed calling his friends from custody and instructing them to contact (X.Y.) and dissuade her from cooperating with the police and the prosecution,” Watchuk said. “This included offering her financial bribes. Mr. Reed also admitted as an aggravating fact at sentencing that he made threats directed at (X.Y.) during the phone calls with his friends."
Watchuk said Reed told the court he is “truly sorry for the pain he caused the family and that he is disgusted with himself."
