A former St. Albert hip-hop dance teacher will spend the next five months behind bars for the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old dance student.
Oliver Nino Damaso, 30, was taken into custody following court proceedings Thursday in Edmonton’s Court of Queen’s Bench for the act that occurred in April 2009.
“Because of this act, Mr. Damaso has lost his career and dream,” said Justice Darlene Acton.
Damaso’s mother prayed in court and fell to the floor in tears as Acton read the sentence. Several family members tried to comfort her, with some wiping tears from their own eyes.
Damaso showed little emotion as the sentence was read.
Crown prosecutor Maria Caffaro was seeking a 12 month sentence.
“It’s the decision of the judge,” she said, adding there is a 30-day appeal process for both Crown and defence. “We’ll know more at the end of the appeals process.”
Defence lawyer Mark Facundo was seeking between three and five months for his client, to be served intermittently on weekends.
“We have a man who made a stupid, foolish mistake and he will pay for this for the rest of his life,” he said during sentencing. “Regardless of the sentence, his life as a dancer is effectively over.”
Damaso’s family declined to comment on the sentence.
He was 27 years old at the time of the offence, when he drove his 16-year-old dance student to her Sherwood Park home where the two engaged in consensual sex.
Caffaro said Damaso spent close to a year pursuing the illicit affair, cultivating the relationship through dance classes and text messages until the victim reached the age of sexual consent.
Damaso was charged in March 2010 with one count each of sexual assault and sexual exploitation. He was acquitted of sexual assault in November 2011 and found guilty of sexual exploitation at the same time.
Damaso was teaching hip-hop dance at St. Albert’s The Art of Dance studio in Campbell Business Park when charges were laid. He was immediately suspended, but went on to teach at another Edmonton-area studio.
After serving his sentence, Damaso will serve one year of probation and is required to provide a sample of his DNA to be entered into the national sex offender registry.
Sexual exploitation carries a minimum jail sentence of 45 days. Although the legal age of consent in Canada is 16, individuals under the age of 18 are not legally able to consent to sex with a person in a position of trust or authority.
The identity of the victim is protected under a court-ordered publication ban.
