Arthur McGuigan sentenced to five and a half years on sex crimes

A former youth worker at a Hampshire, P.E.I. high school has been sentenced to five and a half years for sexually exploiting a female student and supplying her and others with drugs.

Arthur Francis McGuigan used to work at Bluefield High School.

Earlier this summer, the 59-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of luring a child using a computer and two counts of sexual exploitation of a young person between the ages of 14 and 18.

McGuigan also pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking methamphetamine.

In exchange for McGuigan's guilty pleas, Crown prosecutors withdrew two child pornography charges and other drug charges.

Crown wanted a seven year sentence

Crown prosecutors had asked for a sentence of seven years in prison.

Monday in court, McGuigan’s lawyer said her client is addicted to methamphetamine. She said that's a big reason why McGuigan committed serious crimes against the teenage girls who came to him for help. She said drugs destroyed his judgment.

Court heard that in August of 2013, Art McGuigan engaged in sexual activity on two separate occasions with a teenage high school student, gave her money and later provided her with methamphetamine. He also supplied meth to two other girls that summer.

In addition, a former student sent McGuigan several semi-nude photos of herself.  

All the girls were under 18 at the time.

In passing sentence in Supreme Court, Justice Gordon Campbell said parents and children place trust in school staff and called McGuigan's drug use and sexual exploitation the worst possible breach of that trust.

“These were troubled youth who came to you for help,” he said.

Campbell said he was "shocked by the gaul, audacity and selfishness" of McGuigan's crimes.

Before sentence was handed down, Art McGuigan stood up in court to speak. He said he extends his apologies to his family, to staff at Bluefield High, to front line youth workers -- and to the teenage girls he victimized.