The mother of a Nova Scotia teen who claims he was kidnapped and sexually assaulted is speaking out about the ordeal.
With the news of David James LeBlanc’s intent to plead guilty to some of the charges in the case, the boy’s mother says she is happy closure is slowly coming to her family, but the road to recovery is still a long one.
“My first thought was that my son wasn’t going to have to go through the trial and have to relive, you know, it over and over,” says his mother, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of her son.
LeBlanc, 48, is accused of forcibly confining and sexually assaulting the 16-year-old boy in a cabin in Upper Chelsea, N.S.
Police began their investigation last September after a woman reported that a barefoot boy arrived at her home chained at his wrists and ankles.
The RCMP have said they believe the boy was held captive for 10 to 14 days before he was able to escape.
LeBlanc is charged with sexual assault, sexual assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement, uttering a death threat, kidnapping, administering a noxious substance with intent to cause bodily harm and breach of conditions in connection with the case.
Defence lawyer Mike Taylor says LeBlanc will enter guilty pleas on a number of charges when he appears next Thursday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Bridgewater.
Taylordeclined to specify which charges Leblanc intends to plead guilty to, but said the matter would be finalized when the pleas are entered.
The teen’s mother says her son was relieved to hear the news.
“He’s not going to be the same boy ever again. He’s gone through so much that it has forced him to grow up and face things that no child should ever have to face.”
Psychologist Vicky Wolfe says sexual assault is one of the strongest traumas a child can face.
“The main thing that we want to see is that kids have a very strong support system once they’ve disclosed that it’s happened to them or it’s discovered that they’ve had that experience,” says Wolfe.
The boy’s mother remains hopeful that her son is slowly becoming a kid again.
“Wanting to get outside and skate board and be with his friends and just trying to move on.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Suzette Belliveau
