Child actress stalker gets no break from court of appeal
Posted April 5, 2011 5:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s a parent’s nightmare – someone becoming obsessed with your child and following them everywhere. That’s exactly what happened to a 12-year old local TV actress in 2006.
The BC Court of Appeal has now upheld a conviction handed down to 39-year-old David William Cholin. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail in 2010 for criminal harassment.
Cholin claims the original sentence was too harsh and that the trial judge inappropriately treated him as a pedophile.
In sentencing Cholin, the original judge said Cholin failed to appreciate that his actions were criminal and blamed the victim’s family for his actions. He also said he remained a high risk to reoffend.
Not only did the appeal court agree with the original sentence, it also added a firearms prohibition.
The harassment of the girl began when Cholin saw her on TV and thought she was trying to communicate with him through pictures and videos. The girl, her family and friends were sent hundreds of sexually explicit messages. He expressed how he wanted to be with her when she became “legal” at 16.
Police say it got so bad, Cholin changed his appearance, used several aliases and tracked her through social media sites.
The girl’s name is protected under a publication ban.
