Parents Plead Guilty in Child Cruelty Case Involving Underage Cohabitation

A mother and father have pleaded guilty to the charge of cruelty to a child in a case involving their daughter, who began living with an older man when she was 16. The names of the parents are being withheld to protect the identity of the child.  The couple entered a guilty plea late yesterday, after reaching a plea agreement with the Crown. They were subsequently re-arraigned and formally admitted to the charge.  The court heard that the circumstances leading to the charge began when the parents gave their 16-year-old daughter consent to live separately and apart from them. The child subsequently found employment and began cohabiting with a 22-year-old man. The parents later gave the man formal consent to date their daughter, which led to the couple entering into a sexual relationship. These actions resulted in the parents being criminally charged with cruelty to a child.  Today, a mitigation plea was heard on behalf of the couple before Justice Nigel Pilgrim.  Justice Pilgrim is scheduled to hand down an appropriate sentence upon the couple on Thursday, December 18, 2025.