Man found guilty in N.S. sexual assault case dating back 4 decades

A Nova Scotia Supreme Court justice has found Michael Lynn Wentzellguiltyin a sexual assault case from more than 40 years ago.

The verdict was delivered on Wednesday afternoonin Bridgewater, N.S.

A woman allegedshe was raped byWentzell in 1982, when she was just 13.

Wentzell, 71, went on trial Tuesday.

The woman couldn't remember some details of the event, like what she was wearing or how she ended up in her parents' bed, but Justice Diane Rowe found her account of what happened to be completely credible. The judge did not believe Wentzell's denials.

He admitted he hada prior conviction for sexually assaulting another young girl. He also admitted heviolated his parole conditions by drinking alcohol. But he said he only did that to steady his nerves after his house was shot at seven times.

Initially, the shooting incident was reported as shots from a pellet rifle. Wentzell disputed that account as he left court following the guilty verdict.

"I've got one thing to say to you," Wentzell said to the CBC crew at the court house.

"You get your information right when you talk about people's house being shot at: it wasn't pellets that was shot at my house, it was long-rifle .22 bullets."

Wentzell's garage was also tagged with grafitti with the words "pervert" and "pedophile" in large letters.

Outside court, Crown prosecutor Sharon Goodwin said she was pleased with the verdict. She said allegations of historical sexual assault are particularly hard to prosecute.

"We're talking about things that happened so long ago," Goodwin said.

"The details that we often look for in current-day cases are often gone with people's memories and events that you might have had in the form of DNA or forensic evidence. We don't have that from something that happened 41 years ago."

Goodwin said she will be looking for a federal sentence of more than two years in prison when Wentzell's case returns to court in January.

He's free on conditions in the meantime.