Court hears disturbing cases of abuse toward vulnerable Nanaimo area sex trade workers

Ewing’s Actions:
Crown prosecutor Nick Barber laid out the disturbing facts before Judge Brian Harvey.

Barber said all six incidents involved Ewing agreeing to pay sex trade workers for their services, however all of the encounters evolved into actions the women did not consent to.

“In general, it involved a significant pattern where Mr. Ewing will at least initially present himself as a seemingly normal type of John and then despite protestations, forces the situation into something highly aggressive and violent,” Barber told court.

Ewing victimized women in a highly aggressive manner for non-consensual sex acts at a cabin on Industrial Way in Lantzville against three women during separate offences.

One of the victims was 15-years-old at the time of her incident, however Ewing was told she was 18 by a procurer.

The young victim was choked by Ewing and forced to perform oral sex to the point she vomited several times.

The other victims were 23, 26, 28, 33 and 40 at the time of their encounters with Ewing.

Another client of Ewing was penetrated anally against her will after no issues during a previous meeting with him.

She was injured as a result of the ordeal and treated at hospital.

Barber outlined the woman was sent away by Nanaimo RCMP after being told her complaint was essentially a civil matter.

“She then began to post her concerns online. The investigation was taken over by another officer whereby further information was obtained and the matter proceeded to charge approval.”

Barber also outlined another “abusive and painful encounter” on Aug. 1, 2019 at the Travelodge on Terminal Ave. in Nanaimo, where the woman involved recognized Ewing after the fact from news articles and reported her experience to police.

Ewing met some of the women through online sites, offering cash for sex services.

An incident in Parksville, also in 2019, saw Ewing begin to choke a woman during sex, which the the victim stated was a non-starter.

“She was not able to handle the choking and attempted to tap out…to no effect as Mr. Ewing continued to choke her.”

The victim turned purple and began to lose consciousness, telling police she wasn’t able to speak.

Ewing gave her $200 and left.

“More than just a lack of respect but a real lack of humanity on Mr. Ewing’s part on how he views these people that he is exchanging cash for sexual services,” Barber said. “He’s treating them as anything but human beings in the way that he forces this aggressive sex on them and that’s something he’s going to have to deal with as far as his mental health for a very long time.”

Three victim impact statements were submitted to Judge Harvey during Tuesday’s proceedings, including women who outlined their psychological and physical impacts as a result of Ewing’s actions.

One woman wrote she’s still concerned about her safety.

Another complainant recalled being told by Ewing “it could have been worse, stop your whining.”

Sentencing:
While all cases before court on Tuesday were considered violent, a psychological assessment of Ewing failed to shed much light on why he behaved in a violent manner.

Barber said stress was one possible contributing factor behind Ewing’s actions, who is considered a moderate to high risk for future sexual violence.

Barber added it was difficult to find other case law examples similar to Ewing’s situation.

“For the most part, it’s difficult to find a gentleman like Mr. Ewing who acted out so aggressively, so many times,” Barber said.

The Crown requested six years in jail, while Ewing’s lawyer Bert King suggested a term between four and six years behind bars.

King told court Ewing is remorseful and entered a guilty plea to take responsibility for his actions and not make his victims testify in open court.

Ewing has also attended extensive group counselling in Courtenay while out on bail.

While referencing a psychiatric report, King said Ewing reported significant amounts of stress at the time his offending as a key reason for his behaviour.

“Based on this pattern and the general emotional restriction in the clinical interview, Mr. Ewing appears to have deficits in emotional awareness and coping,” King said.

Ewing’s parents attended the hearing, while the offender’s longtime wife was not present.

An apologetic Ewing briefly addressed judge Harvey.

“I’m just sorry for the pain and damage I caused. I’ve seeked (sic) help from wherever I can get it from counselling. I’m doing my best to try and live a better life and act better,” Ewing said, who helps run a family business in Port Alberni.

Ewing will learn his sentence on Oct. 27 via video from the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre in Saanich.

He elected to have his bail revoked at the end of his sentencing hearing and was placed into custody.

Nanaimo RCMP released a mug shot of Ewing after he was originally charged in hopes of advancing their investigation. (Nanaimo RCMP)

Ewing was originally charged with three counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm in August 2019 following a lengthy police investigation for incidents in Nanaimo in 2018.

Two additional charges were applied against Ewing late in 2019 in relation to incidents in Nanaimo and Parksville earlier that year.

Court was told a new charge was laid against Ewing last week.

Ewing had been released from custody with strict bail conditions, including not contacting the complainants.

He had no breaches in his release conditions and had no prior criminal record.

Ewing will automatically be placed on the National Sex Offender Registry for life and will be subject to numerous conditions specifically crafted for sex offenders.

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by Ian Holmes

Court hears disturbing cases of abuse toward vulnerable Nanaimo area sex trade workers

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