Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.

Warning: Readers may find details in this article disturbing.

In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.

Daniel Martin, who taught for more than 30 years, was initially charged in June 2022 with child luring, sexual interference, and sexual assault involving a boy he met months earlier on the dating app Grindr and then on Snapchat before agreeing to meet in person.

The court heard the now 66-year-old man from Welland was charged as part of a human trafficking operation by Ontario Provincial Police after travelling to meet the boy on at least two occasions in Collingwood.

As part of an Agreed Statement of Facts, the court heard Martin met the boy at a Collingwood park and didn't ask how old he was or take any steps to find out.

It was revealed in court that after roughly two minutes together, Martin asked the boy to stop their sexual encounter. The court heard the boy had told Martin he had done this before and that it was OK. He also claimed to be 16 and of legal consenting age.

Martin gave the boy $50 and left. Weeks later, while continuing to speak with the boy online, Martin transferred him about $400.

When they met again, the boy confirmed he was 15.

The defence told the court – according to his pre-sentence report – that Martin is at a low risk of reoffending and is unlikely to be attracted to minors, though it cannot be conclusively ruled out.

The defence told the court Martin had expressed remorse for his poor choices and empathy for the boy, and requested Martin not be registered as a sex offender.

The Crown is seeking a sentence of two years less a day behind bars, arguing Martin had a history of paying for sexual services and a sexual preference for young men about 40 years his junior.

Martin apologized to the court for his actions and for any harm done to the boy and his family. He said his attempt to help the boy made the child's life "a lot worse."

Sentencing will be handed down at a later date.