Halifax man admits to sexually assaulting 3 young girls

A 66-year-old Halifax man has admitted to sexually assaulting three very young girls and sharing child pornography with them.

The abuse spanned a period when the girls were between four and ten years of age, beginning in 2012 and lasting until 2020.

William James Martin entered guilty pleas during a video appearance in provincial court Thursday morning. The Crown then served notice that it wants Martin assessed as to whether he should be declared a dangerous offender. The case will return to court in April to schedule that assessment. Martin remains in jail in the meantime.

According to the agreed statement of facts read into the record, the abuse included Martin getting the girls to remove their clothes.He would then touch them all over their bodies and invite them to touch his penis. He also shared child pornography with them.

Police seized Martin's electronic devices when they arrested him in March of last year. Crown prosecutor Sean McCarroll said police forensic examiners recovered 663 images and videos from Martin's devices, including pictures of young naked girls and infants with their hands bound by ropes.

The abuse stopped when one of the girls complained to her parents. Police and social workers then interviewed all three girls and details of the abuse emerged. Martin was then arrested.

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