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| John L. Hill |
So why not turn a sex trafficking story into a musical? Love Bomb, an award-winning original drama from Vancouver-based Shameless Hussy Productions, became the musical adaptation of the case of Reza Moazami. According to play director Renée Iaci, “It was the first time that anyone was convicted for sex trafficking in B.C.” The production has been touring the country since Sept. 6, 2023, performing shows across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
The Moazami case was a lengthy and ongoing process. Moazami was convicted of offences from a 36-count indictment involving prostitution, sexual offences and human trafficking against 11 female complainants aged
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Moazami received a three-year consecutive sentence for obstruction of justice and breaching a no-contact order when it was proven he tried to persuade a complainant not to testify (R. v. Moazami, 2016 BCSC 2137).
On Sept. 8, 2021, the British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed Moazami’s appeal of his conviction related to the Avails Offences (R. v. Moazami, 2021 BCCA 328). In that appeal, he sought to introduce new evidence concerning both the Avails and the Obstruction charges, focusing on the misconduct of disgraced Vancouver police detective Jim Fisher, who was the lead investigator in the case and was later convicted of sex-related offences (R. v. Fisher, 2018 BCPC 210, aff’d 2019 BCCA 33).
Moazami argued that the officer’s conduct affected the credibility of the complainants and the integrity of the trial. The Crown responded by arguing that, with one exception, Fisher’s conduct occurred after the complainants or witnesses testified, and that the evidence did not and could not affect the fairness of the trial.
A sentence appeal was held in abeyance until the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal of the conviction. But the curtain finally fell on this long-running performance when the British Columbia Court of Appeal released its decision on the sentence appeal on June 19, 2025 (R. v. Moazami, 2025 BCCA 189).
The Appeal Court decision allowed Moazami to claim a partial victory. A legislative provision that limited credit for those detained because of bail breach was found to be unconstitutional after Moazami’s sentence had been imposed (R. v. Romanchych, 2018 BCCA 26). With the Crown’s consent, the sentence was adjusted, granting an additional 50 days of credit.
Secondly, the sentencing judge imposed a sentence almost three years longer than the Crown requested without giving notice of her intention to do so. A case decided later, R. v. Nahanee, 2022 SCC 37, now makes this improper. While the judge cannot be criticized for not anticipating what the Supreme Court would later decide, she could be seen as falling into error when she increased the penalty suggested by the Crown, linking the increase to the fear, stress and aggravation the complainants suffered because Moazami failed to plead guilty.
For the most part, the judge’s analysis of the principles of sentencing and her application of those principles were otherwise without error. The Appeal Court was unwilling to give Moazami a reduction of sentence based on the illegal tactics used by Officer Fisher.
It is not uncommon to see Appeal Court judges defer to trial judges unless there is an error in principle or unless it is determined that a sentence is demonstrably unfit. In this case, deference was withdrawn due to the single error of linking the punishment to a failure to enter a guilty plea. This error affected the sentence imposed. When the Appeal Court finds an error in principle that has impacted the sentence, the Court may impose a proper sentence (R. v. Nystrom, 2023 BCCA 232). As a result, the Appeal Court reduced the sentence to 20 years and eight months, aligning with the Crown’s original position on the sentence.
John L. Hill practised and taught prison law until his retirement. He holds a J.D. from Queen’s and an LL.M. in constitutional law from Osgoode Hall. His most recent book, Acts of Darkness (Durvile & UpRoute Books) was released July 1. Hill is also the author of Pine Box Parole: Terry Fitzsimmons and the Quest to End Solitary Confinement (Durvile & UpRoute Books) and The Rest of the (True Crime) Story (AOS Publishing). Contact him at johnlornehill@hotmail.com.
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