Tsawwassen's Jamieson Glendinning pled guilty to three counts of indecent assault and one count of failure to appear at Surrey Provincial Court on Wednesday, after the former minor baseball volunteer was caught molesting children and subsequently fled the country.
"This was a welcome change in circumstance," said Crown counsel Winston Sayson of Glendinning's guilty plea. "There was a long process of discussion with defence, so it didn't come as a total surprise, but we're very pleased to not have to proceed [with a criminal trial]."
Glendinning originally faced a total of six charges relating to the sexual offences, as well as three charges for breaching his bail conditions.
As a result of Glendinning's guilty plea, his victims will be spared having to testify in court.
"They will be able to get on with their lives," Sayson said.
Glendinning will be back in court March 8 for sentencing. The maximum sentence for indecent assault on a male is 10 years, while indecent assault on a female carries a maximum five year penalty.
Because the offences took place 40 years ago, Glendinning was charged under the Canadian Criminal Code as it existed then. Canadian criminal law has since been updated, with the charge of sexual assault replacing indecent assault, and no distinction being made regarding the gender of the victim.
Glendinning must undergo a court-ordered psychological assessment, as well as a risk assessment, prior to sentencing.
The incidents Glendinning pled guilty to occurred between 1969 and 1974, and involved three victims; two boys and a girl ranging in age from elementary to secondary school students.
The first of Glendinning's victims went to police in December of 2009, and following an investigation by Delta Police's Sexual Offences Section, led by A/Sgt. Dave Black, charges were brought against Glendinning. His arrest resulted in two other alleged victims coming forward afterward.
This past June, a warrant was issued for his arrest after Glendinning failed to attend court in Surrey. He was found in Sydney, Australia, in October, and deported back to Vancouver by Australian authorities, where he was turned over to Delta Police.
Glendinning, 63, used to live in Tsawwassen, and was involved with the Tsawwassen Amateur Baseball Association between 1985 and 1995, and went by the name "Rick." Police are concerned his affiliation with the athletic association during that time means he might have interacted inappropriately with many youth.