A man hailing from Red Pheasant Cree Nation has received a six-year prison sentence for what the judge described as “horrific” deeds. Blaisen Nicotine, aged 27, admitted to inappropriate contact with two young individuals for sexual purposes and the dissemination of child pornography. During Nicotine’s sentencing at Battleford Court of King’s Bench, Justice Brenda Hildebrandt condemned the acts as horrific and intolerable. One incident occurred at a school on Red Pheasant Cree Nation, south of the Battlefords, as reported by the RCMP. The investigation was initiated after the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children alerted the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit about a video being marketed on a social media platform. Nicotine, who was enrolled in adult education courses at the school, was identified as the perpetrator.
According to the facts presented during Nicotine’s sentencing, he was caught filming himself masturbating in a bathroom stall when a young student entered. Nicotine beckoned the child over, recorded the incident on his cellphone, and forcibly pulled the child’s arm towards him. Subsequently, Nicotine shared the videos on a social media platform, circulating them to multiple viewers. The second victim, a 13-year-old who initially claimed to be 18 when meeting Nicotine online, engaged in sexual activities with Nicotine over a ten-day period in a private residence. The victims’ identities are safeguarded by a publication ban, and no victim impact statements were submitted to the court.
The Crown prosecutor, Danie Cillers, and defense attorney Daryl Royer jointly proposed a six-year prison term. Cillers acknowledged that the typical sentencing starting point for such cases is higher but considered Nicotine’s troubled background, which included early exposure to violence, alcohol, and drug abuse. Royer highlighted that Nicotine’s family had endured the intergenerational repercussions of cultural loss, resulting in substance abuse, violence, and neglect. Nicotine expressed remorse in court, stating that he prays daily for forgiveness and deeply regrets his actions. Accepting the six-year sentence recommendation, the judge deemed it appropriate given the circumstances.
Judge Hildebrandt mentioned that the guilty pleas spared the children from testifying and urged Nicotine to make use of available rehabilitation programs in prison. Following credit for time served on remand, Nicotine is left with approximately three years and nine months of his sentence.