:: Lesbian sentenced for kissing foster daughter.

Thursday, August 17, 2000
A Canadian woman sentenced for sexually exploiting her teenage foster daughter by kissing her must serve out her six-month conditional sentence, the British Columbia court of appeal ruled Monday.

The Ontario based National Post reports that Valerie Hetu was found guilty in May of exploiting Candice Prince, for whom she became a foster mother in 1998. Prince knew by the age of 16, when she met Hetu, that she is a lesbian, but Hetu, now 32, had never been intimately involved with another woman.

"Ms. Hetu was a lost soul, finding something out about herself, recognizing when the offense took place that it was wrong," Hetu's attorney, Alexander Watt, told the court. Watt said Hetu tried to end her foster-parenting status when she realized she was attracted to Prince.

Hetu's ex-husband witnessed the kiss between the women. The investigation into Hetu was sparked by an anonymous tip to authorities. The two women are still involved in a relationship. Prince told the paper the court ruling "really sucks. Why should she [Hetu] have a criminal record when nothing is really wrong?"

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