Despicable - No Question

But no more despicable than those people who support lowering the age of consent......

Six men charged for sex assaults against girl

toronto.ctv.ca

Six men are facing sex-related charges after allegations that a 12-year-old, developmentally-delayed girl was sexually assaulted. The girl's mother also faces the rare charge of corrupting a child.

Investigators allege that the sexual assaults of the victim took place in her mother's Toronto home between November 2005 and November 2006.

Police began an investigation in January of this year. Officers believe the home in the Rexdale Blvd. and Hwy. 27 area was a safe house for drug dealers and users.

Once in the home, the men allegedly had sexual contacts with the girl on several occasions. Police allege the mother traded her daughter for drugs and money.

Investigators also allege the young girl was at times force-fed crack cocaine and other drugs.

The accused are set to make court appearances in September. None of them have been identified by police.

The young victim, whose identity has also been withheld, was placed in the custody of Children's Aid and is receiving therapy for her ordeal.

Police Supt. Ron Taverner told reporters Thursday that she is responding well to treatment.

"I understand she's improved greatly over the period of time that she's had this therapy," Taverner said.

The girl's 42-year-old mother was charged on Wednesday because investigators had to wait for official approval from the attorney general to lay the rarely used charge of corrupting a child. The woman's identity cannot be revealed in order to protect the identity of her daughter.

Charged are:

* Harold Cover, 55, of Mississauga, Ont.;
* Radcliffe Parchment, 19, of Toronto;
* Muralee Balasubramaniam, 50, of no fixed address;
* Neil Rose, 44, of Brampton, Ont.;
* Dennis Guthrie, 52, of Whitby, Ont.; and
* Linton Lewis, 47, of Brampton, Ont.

Several of the accused are facing other charges, including sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching.

"It's certainly a situation that's very despicable when you look at the 12-year-old vulnerability of this girl," Taverner said at a news conference Thursday.

"It's something I don't think many of us have seen in policing and many of us in the community are going to be, quite frankly, outraged at."

With reports from CTV Toronto's Roger Petersen and the Canadian Press