Ex-Anglican priest found guilty of sexually abusing two Yukon First Nations boys in the 1980s

Warning: Some readers may find this story disturbing

An ex-Anglican priest has been found guilty of six counts of molesting two Yukon First Nation boys in the 1980s.

The verdict came Wednesday after a two-day trial in Whitehorse, described by the judge as “unusual” on several fronts, including the forgiveness and “decent humanity” in the victims’ testimonies and the defense opting not to cross-examine.

David Norton, currently imprisoned in Ontario for child sexual abuse there, was charged last year with two counts of historic assault, assault and sexual interference in the Yukon cases.

The abuse took place between 1983 and 1987, when Norton was the “Indian Ministries Coordinator” for the Anglican Church’s Diocese of Yukon, according to court documents. He also presided over St. Simon’s Church in Whitehorse, commonly referred to as the Old Log Church, and St. Saviour’s Church in Carcross, Yukon.

While the 77-year-old Norton pleaded not guilty to all charges, he admitted through his lawyer on Wednesday that convictions were “appropriate” based on the evidence – namely the testimony of the two victims, the Crown’s only witnesses.

The defense has not provided any evidence.

‘The night was when those sacrifices came’

The victims, whose identities are under publication ban, testified separately on Tuesday and Wednesday, saying they met Norton after their mother regularly drove them to services at the Old Log Church.

Norton, who attended the trial via video conference, quickly became a friend of the family, the victims said, and they began spending more time with him inside and outside the church.

“He showed us a lot of things, taught us a lot,” one victim testified. “We loved him – I loved him.”

The victims became altar boys and accompanied Norton to Carcross for the church. Norton also took them camping, to Dairy Queen, to the movies and skidoo’s, as well as trips to a cabin on Lake Laberge, to his home in Ontario, and to the Bahamas.

“We came from a poor First Nations family and Dave gave us opportunities to do and see things we never had before,” one victim testified.

“So I like to think of it as … given the opportunities we had, we had to make some sacrifices to continue that. And the night was when those sacrifices came.”

The victims testified that they regularly slept in the parsonage of the Old Log Church, where they shared a foam mattress with Norton.

Both said they woke up several times to Norton with his hand in their underwear stroking them or masturbating while touching them.

One victim recalled waking up three times in the parsonage of the Old Log Church, while the other recalled at least 10 incidents in the Yukon and others in Ontario.

The victims told the court they were too young to realize what was happening and although they would “cocoon” themselves in blankets or turn away to try and stop the touching, they still saw Norton as a role model, guardian and almost a other parent.

Neither victim told anyone about what was happening at the time, although one testified that during a trip to Ontario, he told Norton, “I’m never coming back,” because he “didn’t like what was happening there anymore.” .

The other victim testified that he felt “abandoned” after Norton left the Yukon, and that he had kept in touch with their family through long-awaited letters and phone calls for years.

‘I don’t wish him harm’

Both victims said they didn’t realize what Norton had done to them and the impact of the abuse until years later. One of them described it as “the biggest trauma of my life.” That victim said he called Norton in the early 2000s and threatened to come forward if Norton touched other children.

The victims testified that they started talking to each other about the abuse, which led one of them to Google Norton’s name in 2016.

The results include articles about Norton’s lawsuits for boy sexual abuse in Ontario. The victims said the details of how he treated those boys – letting them drive his jeep, teaching them to read with M&Ms – were “identical” to their experiences.

Norton emailed one of the victims in 2017. That same year, the victim contacted a reporter for the London Free Press who had covered Norton’s crimes in Ontario. The reporter put the victim in contact with the police, which eventually led to both victims reporting to the authorities.

“My motivation was to free myself from all these things — I’ve carried this with me all my life,” the victim said.

While both victims testified that the abuse caused them trust issues and caused them to be very protective of their own children, they also said they harbored no ill will.

“I have forgiven him for what he has done in the past,” one said.

‘I wish him no harm. He was my friend for a long time. It makes me sad to see him like this.’

The other victim also said he “had no bad feelings for Dave”.

“I wish the best for him in a way, but you also never want that to happen to anyone else,” he said.

Both victims asked Norton to speak privately after court ended Wednesday, a request granted by Territorial Court Chief Judge Michael Cozens.

Although Cozens was found guilty of all six charges against Norton, he only convicted the ex-priest on charges of sexual interference because of a legal principle about overlapping criminal charges.

Before closing the court, Cozens noted the “dainty, decent” testimonies of the victims, along with the “very impressive” way they expressed the impact of the crime while also demonstrating “decent humanity”.

“It’s pretty rare to see in this court,” Cozens said, adding that the defense’s decision not to cross-examine also deserved recognition.

Norton’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday. He is currently serving a nine-year sentence at the Bath Institution in Ontario after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting four boys from Chippewas of the Thames First Nation in 2018. He also pleaded guilty separately to molesting another boy, for which he received a four-year prison sentence.

Norton abused the victims in Ontario before leaving for and after returning from the Yukon.

In addition to being a priest, Norton was also a history professor at King’s University College in London, Ont., an affiliate of Western University, and holds a PhD in Native History. He was given a leave of absence from his teaching position when he was first charged with sexual assault in 2015 and later resigned.

The same year, according to The Anglican Journal, the then Bishop of the Diocese of Huron suspended Norton’s license to function as a priest, and Norton “relinquished his office as an Anglican priest” in 2016.

There is support for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. This gives you access to crisis lines and local emergency services Canadian government website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. In Yukon, you can contact the Sexualized Violence Response Team.

If you are in immediate danger or have concerns for your safety or that of others around you, call 911.