An Assiniboia, Sask. man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for 10 charges related to historical sex crimes involving children at Saskatchewan daycares.

Richard Dyke, 48, pleaded guilty earlier this month to three counts of sexual interference, six counts of creating child pornography and one count of publishing an intimate image without consent, according to court documents.

Dyke was sentenced for those charges inside a Moose Jaw court room on Wednesday. He was credited with 815 days served on remand, meaning he will spend an additional 14 years and 17 months behind bars.

All other charges against Dyke have been stayed by the court. The 17-year sentence was a joint submission from the Crown and defence.

Crown Prosecutor Stephen Yusuff said the sentence is the longest for child sex crimes in Saskatchewan.

“The previous highest was 15 years,” he told reporters following court proceedings Wednesday. “We certainly hope it sends the message if you offend against children in Saskatchewan, you will be held responsible. You will be severely punished. And there is no room for escaping accountability.”

Saskatchewan RCMP initially charged Dyke in the fall of 2023 with more than a dozen counts related to alleged child sexual abuse at a home daycare operating out of Dyke’s residence in Assiniboia.

At that time, police identified the victims as three boys under the age of 12. However, 33 victims in total have been identified since, 32 of which were children as young as 18 months old and up to 17 years of age.

In May 2024, 60 more charges were laid against Dyke which included historical sexual assaults, sexual interference, voyeurism and making child pornography.

In addition to the home daycare operating out of Dyke’s residence in Assiniboia, he also attended additional daycares in Coronach, Swift Current and Assiniboia. The communities of Tisdale, Estevan and Gravelbourg were also said to be affected, according to RCMP.

In May 2024, RCMP Chief Superintendent Ted Munro said that investigators had analyzed 1.5 million pieces of digital evidence believed to be related to the crimes.

Yusuff believes the guilty pleas avoided the possibility of resurfacing past trauma for the victims and their families.

“Without the guilty pleas, we would have run multiple trials in different Southern Saskatchewan locations,” he said. “The victims would have had to testify. The families would have had to testify. Trauma can ensue from victims testifying.”

“It can be a very, very difficult thing for them,” Yusuff added.

The offences spanned over the course of two decades, dating as far back as 2005.

Due to the ages of Dyke’s victims, a publication ban imposed by the court is in effect on the victim’s names.

Some were children who attended daycares operated by his wife out of their home, others were friends of Dyke’s own children.

The Crown read some victim impact statements to the court. One said they struggle to form trusting relationships and have anxiety.

“I find it the hardest at night to try and fall asleep,” Yusuff said on behalf of one victim. “I end up laying in the dark thinking of all the things that have happened over and over.”

Another said his experiences have hindered the relationship with their own family and intimate partners.

“This will always be a part of me,” the victim impact statement said. “I will forever live with the memory of what happened in the past.

“Sexual violence causes additional harm to children by damaging their relationships with family and caregivers,” Judge Brian Hendrickson told the court. “The ripple effects of sexual violence against children can make the children’s parents and caregivers lose trust in friends, families, and societal institutions.”

The judge also read aloud sections of other victim impact statements in his reasoning, including the account of one parent.

“Every parent’s worst nightmare, other than having your child die, is having somebody completely rob your child’s sweet innocence by violating and sexually abusing [them],” the statement said. “We are living this nightmare and after time it does not go away.”

“I hope you [Dyke] understand the heinous actions that have caused good parents to question themselves and innocent children to feel ashamed, isolated and embarrassed as if they bore any responsibility,” Judge Hendrickson told Dyke as part of his decision.

Judge Hendrickson added Dyke has accepted the consequences of his actions.

“He said there was no justification for his actions. He said he attempted to understand his actions but was unable to,” the judge told the court. “He expressed remorse and apologized to the victims and their families, his family and friends.”

In addition to time behind bars, Dyke was ordered to comply with the sex offender registry list for life, is banned from visiting public parks, pools and playgrounds where children may be, as well as contacting any of his victims - among multiple other court orders.