Jeffrey Bastien has a "deviant" sexual attraction to children of both sexes that is likely "something he'll be fighting the rest of his life," a dangerous offender court hearing was told Wednesday.

Psychologist Dr. David Fischman said the result of phallometric testing he conducted in 2002 to measure Bastien's sex drive is "a very robust predictor" of the likelihood he will reoffend in the future once released back into the community.

Bastien
©Nick Brancaccio, The Windsor Star
File photo of Jeffrey Bastien, 30, leaving Superior Court after a recent appearance. Bastien is subject of a dangerous offender application by the Crown. He is a convicted repeat sex offender.


Even though the test -- which measures physical arousal when a male subject is exposed to sexual stimuli -- is conducted while the subject is hooked up in a room, under observation and aware the results have consequences, Bastien still demonstrated "high arousal," Fischman testified. The 34th Crown witness at the hearing that began Feb. 11, Fischman did the initial assessment on Bastien when he was admitted to a Correctional Services Canada sex offender treatment program in Kingston after being convicted of three sexual assaults on women near Casino Windsor.

Fischman testified that Bastien, whose lengthy criminal record began at age 17, is both sexually deviant and borderline psychopathic, which he said is difficult to treat.

Fischman said he tried and failed to engage Bastien in one-on-one counselling and treatment in 2002. After serving his full sentence on that conviction, he was released on a high-risk offender order and two separate probation orders.

It was while under those conditions that he broke into a downtown apartment in May 2006 and violently assaulted a 15-year-old girl, kicking and striking the complete stranger. Assistant Crown attorney Gary Nikota said the victim, in terror and convinced she would be raped, was able to trick her assailant and contact 911.

When the police arrived minutes later, an undressed Bastien greeted them by saying, "I was just having some fun with my girlfriend," according to Nikota.

Fischman said it represented an escalation in violent behaviour and left the message that "somebody is not learning from his mistakes."

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Brian Dube pointed out that a "large percentage" of prison populations suffers characteristics of psychopathy, and he cited a study showing a "significant portion" of top company executives share psychopathic traits.

While agreeing there are "corporate psychopaths in the community," Fischman replied that they're not "violent criminals" like Bastien. And he said that while many prisoners share elements of psychopathy, only a small minority can be labelled psychopaths.