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Kelly Isbister sentenced to four years in jail for molesting teen boys

He will serve three more years and also faces some additional charges.
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Kelly Isbister will serve four years in jail on three convictions of sexual interference of a person under 16.

A Provincial Court judge called Kelly Isbister’s acts of child molestation “predatory and relentless,” and sentenced him to four years in jail.

Isbister will serve three years, as he has already spent one year in jail.

In his sentencing hearing on Dec. 18 in Surrey Provincial Court, Isbister appeared unhappy with the decision.

In October, the 42-year-old lifelong Langley resident pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual interference of a person under 16.

All three of Isbister’s victims were 14 at the time of the crimes, which took place between 2010 to 2013.

“These 14-year-old boys were befriended by Mr. Isbister, and all these events took place at his house. He provided them with drugs and alcohol and drew them in for his own sexual gratification,” said Judge Michael Hicks in his sentencing.

He victimized one boy for one year and another for three months.

Court heard that Isbister has never had meaningful employment in his life, but did manage to obtain a license to grow medicinal marijuana at the time of the crimes against the teens. At the time, he was giving the victims pot and alcohol along with cash.

He engaged in anal sex with two of his victims, and he photographed all three in sexual poses.

“Mr. Isbister took advantage of them while they were intoxicated and manipulated them for his own sexual satisfaction,” said the judge.

The victims are all traumatized and found it difficult to revisit these events in their past.

“They chose not to write victim impact statements for that very reason, because of their acute anxiety around these events. This will have a lifelong impact on these victims. so in sentencing I must deliver a strong message of denunciation,” said Judge Hicks.

Crown stayed the remaining 10 charges against Isbister, including the more serious counts of sexual assault.

Both Crown and his defense agreed that giving him enhanced credit for time served does not apply because of the serious nature of the crimes and given the new charges before him that have not been dealt with, including attempting to obstruct justice.

In June, he was charged with sexual assault while in jail.

In a psychiatric assessment, he was deemed a moderate risk to re-offend.

He has “extreme denial” and  rationalized and justified his actions. He believes the relationships he had with the boys were consensual.

“He has a long way to go to gain insight into his actions,” said the judge.

He said he is willing to take sexual offender programming while in jail.

Isbister told the psychiatrist that he drinks six to eight beer a day and was sexually abused by an adult female. He was supported in court by his mom, step-dad and sister.

Isbister must submit a DNA sample, be in the sex offender registry for life, not communicate with all three victims, as well as a fourth, while in jail.  The images seized from the investigation will be disposed of.

Once out of jail, he will be prohibited from attending public parks, schools, community centres, daycares, pools, etc.

He is also prohibited from volunteering or trying to gain employment that may involve children, nor is he to be in the company of people under the age of 16.



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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