Sundre woman accused of sexual assault pleads not guilty; alleged victim speaks out
In a Didsbury courtroom on Monday, 33-year-old Alexa Suitor, accused in a series of sexual offences involving four teenage boys, entered pleas of not guilty.
On April 8, the Sundre woman was arrested and charged with sexual interference, sexual assault and four counts of making sexually explicit material available to a child.
CTV News Calgary spoke exclusively with one of the teenage boys, who says he was victimized and is now facing a double standard.
"People that were close with me for a lot of my life kind of changed based on the situation and showed what they were actually like," the teen said.
He can't be named due to a publication ban.
The 15-year-old says he has quit his job, and can’t go over to a friend's home anymore because the family is friends with Suitor.
He also says several dads are mad at him.
"One of them yelled at me. One of them said it was my fault and then the other one just doesn't talk to me," the teen said.
He says Suitor's interactions with him began with text messages last year.
The sexual assault allegedly occurred at a New Year's Eve party.
His mom says it took away his innocence.
"For the most part, I feel support in the community ... but there are odd comments, especially when it's a male victim," the teen's mother told CTV News Calgary.
"That 'they were busted,' that 'they enjoyed it.'"
CTV News Calgary visited Suitor’s home but her family declined to speak.
CTV News Calgary also reached out to her lawyer.
The family we spoke with say even outside court, they can never escape running into Suitor.
"I'm feeling no support for those kids. They're feeling uncomfortable in the community and I don't understand how she's so brazen to be walking around," the teen's mother said.
The teen hopes she's convicted but says mostly, he just wants his life back.
"If it never happened, way better. Still have my job and everything, have money, still close connections," he said.
None of the allegations against Suitor have been proven in court.
Criminal Justice expert weighs in
Doug King, a criminal justice professor at Mount Royal University, says only five per cent of all perpetrators of sexual assault are female.
"One of the realities of sexual assault is that it plays into gender stereotypes in our society," King said.
King says the public needs to understand that the general age of consent is 16 in Canada, and a person's gender doesn't change that.
"Let's not have a double standard of if you're a 14- or 15-year-old male, 'good on you for scoring,' but if you are a 15- or 14-year-old girl, your victimization takes on more meaning."
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