A young social media predator, who has been on the loose for almost three years, was recently sentenced to 14 months in prison for luring a 13-year-old girl. Tanisha Samuels had posed as a 15-year-old boy in order to trap her prey.
Arrested in 2017, the now 25-year-old Ontario woman pleaded guilty in October 2019 to two counts: computer luring of a minor and making sexually explicit material available to a child. The counts related to child pornography were then dropped.
But at the next hearing, in February 2020, Tanisha Samuels was conspicuous by her absence. The young woman had taken to their heels to hide in Ontario. The police finally arrested her in September 2022, when she was the subject of an arrest warrant. She has been detained ever since.
Tanisha Samuels, then 19, posed as a 15-year-old boy on social media to bait her victim in 2017. The 13-year-old fell in love with the character ‘Sam Johnson’ created by the accused. During their virtual exchanges, they had “very sexually explicit” discussions.
At the request of Tanisha Samuels, the teenager sent her several photos of herself naked. The accused also asked him to touch himself, in addition to sending him photos of penises. Tanisha Samuels even went so far as to meet the victim three times in a mall in the West Island. The victim was then convinced that “Sam” was a 15-year-old boy.
The teenager’s parents finally discovered the pot of roses when they noticed that the alleged 15-year-old boy had “[email protected]” as his email address. The police were able to confirm that “Sam” was in fact a 19-year-old woman.
“A vulnerable person”
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) launched an appeal to the public in 2017 to find other potential victims of Tanisha Samuels. Investigators indicated that it mainly targeted young girls in lower secondary school.
The parties last month presented a joint suggestion of 14 months, a rather lenient sentence given the aggravating factors. Crown prosecutor M.e Jérôme Laflamme clarified that this suggestion took into account the fact that Tanisha Samuels had a slight intellectual disability. Additionally, she had a “traumatic” childhood, according to a report that notes her vulnerability.
Me Andrew Galliano, the defense attorney, pointed out that according to the report, Tanisha Samuels is “almost a 15-year-old girl in her head.” “He is a vulnerable person. Detention is not going to help him rehabilitate,” he argued.
A recent Supreme Court decision concludes that the presence of an offender’s disability, as well as their vulnerability, is important in sentencing.
Judge Jean-Jacques Gagné endorsed the suggestion. Tanisha Samuels’ sentence will be followed by three years’ probation. She plans to live in Ontario when she leaves prison.