A former Belleville tattoo artist will spend three years behind bars at a federal penitentiary.
The sentence was handed down today by Justice Patrick Hurley at the Quinte Consolidated Courthouse.
The now 51-year-old Kenneth Wayne Melvin was first charged in April 2017 and the sentencing handed down today ends the almost three year long case.
Melvin will also be a registered sex offender for life, is required to submit a DNA sample, has a weapons prohibition for ten years, is prohibited from communicating with his victims plus an additional woman, and will be required to forfeit all seized items.
He was found guilty in June 2019 of six counts of sexual assault, two indecent acts and one criminal harassment charge.
Prior to the sentencing decision, Melvin pleaded guilty to two other charges; one sexual assault and one criminal harassment in relation to two other victims. The guilty pleas, along with the withdrawal of the other outstanding charges, remove the need for an additional trial next month.
Assistant Crown Attorney Lynn Ross and defence attorney Mike Pretsell made a joint submission seeking three and a half years prison time, with six months for time served.
Ross said in the courtroom she and Pretsell engaged in lengthy plea negotiations to come to this agreed submission and were working up until the last minute.
Justice Hurley stated he felt the sentence of three years was reasonable and fit as there were many aggravating factors in this case and his illegal behaviour spanned many years.
Hurley said the former tattoo artist didn’t hold a position of trust in a traditional sense but called it reprehensible conduct.
He continued on to say the plea of guilty to the two additional charges was a big mitigating factor and a genuine expression of remorse.
Hurley stated a penitentiary sentence for someone with no previous criminal record was significant but a consequence of his behaviour.
(Photo: Amanda Smith/Quinte News)
He wrapped up his sentencing thanking the first complainant, who read a victim impact statement prior to the sentencing, for her courageous actions in coming forward.
Hurley stated that had she not come forward, Melvin would have continued that behaviour and her coming forward encouraged others to come forward even though it came at a great personal cost to her.
Following the sentence, Melvin turned and hugged his sister in the courtroom before being led away in handcuffs.
Ross told Quinte News she was happy with the decision and hoped this sentence would help the victims begin their journey to find closure.
She also said she hopes this case puts others on notice.
Melvin was first charged in April 2017 after a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted while at his shop. At one point, the well known tattoo artist was facing over 30 charges, many of which were withdrawn months later because according to Ross “there was no reasonable prospect for conviction”.
