Thursday, 4:30 PM
Man who fled country sentenced to 18 months in jail
By Globe Staff
John W. Canadyan won't be going back to Canada any time soon.
The 54-year-old Revere man fled to Canada in August to avoid charges that he sexually assaulted a seven-year-old neighborhood girl. Now he's facing 18 months in jail.
Canadyan pleaded guilty yesterday in Chelsea District Court to two counts of indecent assault and battery. Judge Sarah Singer handed down the jail sentence and also ordered him placed on probation for five years afterward.
"Like many child sexual abuse suspects, John Canadyan counted on silence from his victim," Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement. "What he didn’t count on was that young girl’s bravery and her family’s strength."
"It was with their help that Revere Police and Suffolk prosecutors were able to build a strong case and ultimately hold him accountable for his actions," Conley said.
Canadyan allegedly assaulted the girl in July. He was arraigned on July 30. In August, after posting bail, he fled the country and was tracked to an Indian reservation in Canada.
He was arrested the next month as he attempted to cross the border on a train bound for New York.
