Warning: This story contains disturbing details of a sexual nature involving a teen.
Steven Lehmann, once a widely respected musician in Waterloo Region, is going to prison.
The former music instructor was sentenced to five years behind bars after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a teen girl. He was also given three days credit for the two days he already spent in custody. Three other charges of sexual assault were withdrawn in December at the request of the Crown.
Court heard the sexual contact began when the victim, whose name is protected by a publication ban, was 16-years-old. Lehmann was 20 years older.
In September 2008, he told the girl he really liked her. The teen said she was not interested in a romantic partnership.
Lehmann then groomed the girl, picking her up from her work or school, touching her and eventually initiating sex.
Over a nine-month period, they had sexual intercourse approximately 40 times, court heard.
At one point, the girl asked Lehmann what he would do if others found out about their relationship.
Lehmann reportedly said he would kill himself and “make it look like an accident.”
Court was also told the teen was the one who cut off contact with Lehmann. She asked him to leave her alone in June 2009.
Given the gravity of his actions, the Crown felt Lehmann should spend five years behind bars. The defence pushed for two to three years, arguing their client was a first-time offender who, as a result of the charges against him, experienced serious professional consequences.
Lehman was the co-founder of KW Glee and the Renaissance School of the Arts in Waterloo. He also helped develop a professional recording studio before his arrest. Court heard he is no longer affiliated with those organizations or projects.
Justice Nicole Redgate ultimately decided on a five-year sentence for Lehmann.
“I consider the gravity of the offense to be high,” she said, explaining he had exploited a position of trust for criminal purposes. “I consider Mr. Lehmann’s degree of responsibility to be high.”
“The facts established that Mr. Lehmann’s conduct was calculated. He groomed, pushed boundaries and emotionally manipulated [the teen] over a matter of months,” Justice Redgate said.
The judge noted the relationship lasted several months, with Lehmann and the girl having sexual intercourse at least every other week.
“This was not an isolated or brief lapse in judgment,” Redgate stated in her decision.
The judge also addressed Lehmann’s comment that he would kill himself if his relationship with the girl was revealed, stating it cultivated a dynamic of dependency. The judge said he manipulated the teen and “placed her in an impossible situation. She was made to feel responsible for Mr. Lehmann’s life and safety.”
Justice Redgate determined Lehmann’s actions caused “profound, multi-faceted harm” to the victim, impacting her mental health, work and other relationships.
The judge also noted Lehmann was a first-time offender, and while he had pleaded guilty, she said that plea came close to the start of his trial.
Redgate acknowledged Lehmann had a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation, as well as supportive family and friends, and had taken accountability for his actions.
At the end of sentencing, Lehmann was led out of the courtroom by a special constable.
In addition to his five-year prison sentence, Lehmann’s DNA will be included in the sex offender registry for the next 20 years. A weapons prohibition will also in place for 10 years.
Lehmann is forbidden from contacting the victim for the duration of his sentence.
