WARNING: This story includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence.
The evidence of 28 plaintiffs who claim that Michael Haaima took advantage of them, some when they were teenage girls, will reveal a “seal violence predatory system,” the crown told the court when her trial began on Thursday in Kingston, Ontario.
The assistant lawyer of the crown, Megan Williams, told the Superior Court of Justice that he intends to show that the pattern of alleged abuse was promoted by the need for control of the accused and a “relentless interest in sexual activity with a child.”
Haaima, now 40, faces 98 charges for alleged incidents dating between 2007 and 2022, when he was arrested.
The accusation lists more than 30 positions of sexual aggression, several of which are alleged to have involved drowning or weapons, including a belt, a palette and a screwdriver.
Haaima also faces multiple positions for allegedly accessing and doing child pornography.
“This is a case about sexual violence on a relentless scale,” Williams said in his opening statement. “This is the predatory collection of young women and adolescent girls of Mr. Haaima to be used for sexual domination, fed by their violent and pedophile sexual impulses.”
The defense did not make an opening statement when the trial began on Thursday.
Haaima declared himself innocent 96 times
Haaima, who appeared in the court with a gray suit and glasses, could be seen shaking his head while the crown lawyer read his statement.
The list of charges was so long that Haaima’s lawyer, Natasha Calvinho, asked that her client already allowed them to sit while reading. He took more than 40 minutes, with two court members who turned to read 10 positions at the same time.
Ninety -six times, Haaima declared himself innocent. He declared himself guilty only from the last two positions, for violating an order without contact after he was already in custody.
The investigation began in January 2022. Before his arrest, Haaima worked in the Kingston technology sector.
Williams, the crown lawyer, said the accusations against him could be divided into two broad deadlines.
The first, which covered 2007 to 2010, involved seven women and allegedly saw Haaima “taking advantage of the access” that he had to them through the sale of marijuana.
The other 21 plaintiffs met the defendant between 2016 and 2022, after being attacked through social media platforms, including the application of Tynd dates, according to the crown.
The identities of all victims are protected by a standard publication ban.
5 months reserved for trial
Williams told the court that the alleged abuse of the Haaima Court began with him presenting as a “good guy”, offering his alleged victims alcohol and marijuana before a sudden “escalation to sexual violence”, including voyeurism and filming.
Some of the women are expected to testify that they were drowned in unconsciousness, he told the court. They will also testify to the demanding plaintiffs to Haaima to call him “dad” and act as a schoolgirl, a child or a baby.
The crown said that Haaima would also expose the alleged victims to child pornography during sexual encounters, sometimes grabbed them by hair and forced them to see her.
Williams claimed that Haaima also forced a victim, who was the age of consent, to participate in sexual activities with other men while observing, describing that he fell under the “wide umbrella of human trafficking.”
“Finally, its purpose evolved to asking some of young women to facilitate access to a small child with a sexual purpose,” he told the Court.
The trial continues before a judge alone and is expected to take approximately five months.
Williams said he anticipates that the witnesses of the crown could testify in October, and added that time has also been reserved this November and January 2026 to accommodate defense and closing presentations.
