Crown deems man who committed sexual assault in Burlington a ‘dangerous offender’

An Ontario court has found that the man who sexually assaulted a woman in Burlington several years ago can be considered a “dangerous offender.”

42-year-old Vezio Cardullo was arrested in 2016 after a woman was sexually assaulted near the waterfront of Spencer Smith Park.

He pled guilty to sexual assault causing bodily harm, overcoming resistance by choking and uttering threats on Feb. 12, 2021. Following his initial conviction, a dangerous offender application was launched by prosecutors.

On Friday, an Ontario Superior Court of Justice found that application to be valid and deemed Cardullo a dangerous offender.

The abominable title is held for Canada’s most violent criminals and sexual predators and is used to highlight criminals the crown believes are likely to re-offend in the future.

An application must be submitted by prosecutors prior to the sentence being imposed.

When found to be a valid designation, convicted criminals are subject to indeterminate prison sentences, whether their crimes carry a life sentence or not.

It’s primarily used in cases where offenders are presumed to be too dangerous to be released back into society but whose sentences may not keep them incarcerated.

Ontario Supreme Court of Justice Judge Clayton Conlan sentenced Cardullo to 17 years of imprisonment with a 10-year supervision order to follow for his heinous crimes.

READ MORE: Man charged after woman sexually assaulted in Spencer Smith Park