Sentencing delayed for man who tampered with vibrator | Canada | News | Calgary Sun
EDMONTON – Sentencing has been delayed for a former Edmonton building inspector found guilty of interfering with a woman's vibrator during a home inspection.
Last October, Robert Shostak was convicted of unlawfully being in a dwelling house, but the 55-year-old married father will have to wait until April 5 to learn his sentence.
During the trial, the woman, who cannot be named under a publication ban, said she went into her bedroom because she felt Shostak, a building safety inspector, had been there too long. She discovered him coming out of the master bedroom closet and found her vibrator had been turned on.
Court heard the next day, the woman found a package on her doorstep containing a pair of soiled underwear and a crude note, allegedly left by Shostak.
Judge Terry Clackson ruled Shostak initially had the right to be in the woman's northeast Edmonton home on Dec. 24, 2007, but he lost that right once he handled her vibrator.
During a sentencing hearing Wednesday morning, Crown prosecutor Tania Sarkar called the incident "highly disturbing" and said it caused the woman to feel concerned about her safety.
Shostak has no criminal record, said Sarkar, but he also has no remorse or any explanation for what he did.
Sarkar suggested a sentence involving a short period of incarceration, followed by probation. But Shostak's lawyer, Kent Teskey, suggested a monitory penalty instead, noting Shostak has already taken some lumps for the crime, which was impulsive, not calculated.
Teskey said Shostak has lost his job and will likely never be employed in the trade again.
"It is clear to everybody who knows him that he is a person who is passionate about construction. That has been taken away from him," said Teskey. "This has had a significant effect on his life."
Shostak was acquitted of stalking the woman, along with other charges relating to allegations he had gone into another home and watched a woman exit a shower.
