Legacy Christian Academy athletic director handed two-year sentence

The former athletic director of an independent Saskatoon school was handed a two-year sentence on Thursday.

Aaron Travis Benneweis worked at Legacy Christian Academy from 2008 to 2012. In October he pleaded guilty to sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor, which occurred while he was a staff member there.

Benneweis was sentenced to two years less a day, for a total of 708 days after credit for the time he had already spent in custody. That term will be followed by three years of probation, including counselling as directed by the courts.

Jennifer Beaudry, the victim in this case, has spoken publicly about her experience after successfully petitioning the court to lift the automatic publication ban on her identity.

After the sentence was read, Beaudry hugged her friends and family — some of whom shed tears.

Outside of the courthouse, she said it was the best outcome she could have hoped for.

“I worked my butt off to get here. I woke up this morning and was like, ‘oh, man, I get to put someone in prison today… I actually get to see justice.'”

Beaudry said she felt good to see some accountability and responsibility occur, and for it to be acknowledged in the court system.

Provincial Court Judge Marilyn Gray told Benneweis what he did was a “grave breach of trust,” that he exploited Beaudry for his own sexual gratification, and that he knew his conduct was wrong, but that didn’t deter him.

Beaudry, Gray said, belonged to a church where members were not allowed to associate with those outside of the church, and there was a practice of shunning those who didn’t abide by the rules.

While mitigating factors in the case included the fact that Benneweis had no prior criminal record, he was willing to go to counselling, expressed remorse and pleaded guilty — he still lacked insight into his own behaviour.

He also had not sought out treatment for his deviant sexual behaviour.

Beaudry said later, she hoped that her case would encourage others to come forward.

“There is success that can be had, it is worth it. There’s a lot of healing in the journey and support is really, really important,” she added.

Both she and former Legacy Student Caitlin Erickson said that Bennewies’ conviction and sentencing strengthens the class action lawsuit against their former school and church.

“Today the judge did a really good job… putting on the record the environment of the church and school was like, and I think that’s really important for people to understand why it took so long for people to come forward,” she said.

Once his sentence is completed, Benneweis will be on probation for three years, must submit a DNA sample for a national database, will have to seek specified counselling, and must not have any contact either direct or indirect with Beaudry, her family or friends.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Lara Fominoff and Will Mandzuk