Brent Gabona, a former care aide serving a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting five residents at a group home in Hepburn, Saskatchewan, has been granted unescorted temporary absences (UTAs) to attend church services. The Parole Board of Canada approved the leaves, allowing Gabona to leave prison without a staff escort for four hours once a week.
Parole Board Authorizes Church Leaves
According to the board's latest decision, the UTAs were first authorized in August 2025 and again in October 2025. The board stated that the proposed absences would allow Gabona to access positive community activities and supports to help reintegrate into the community. Gabona, 56, pleaded guilty in 2023 to three counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual exploitation of a person with a disability by inciting sexual touching, and was sentenced in January 2024.
Details of the Crimes
The board reported that between 2001 and 2003, Gabona committed multiple sexual assaults against five victims while working as a caregiver and supervisor at Shepherd's Villa in Hepburn. The victims—three men and two women—were non-verbal residents who could not report the abuse. Gabona “groomed” male victims by exposing himself and “fondled” the female victims. He left his job at the care home in 2009. In April 2022, he confessed his crimes to his doctor, who contacted the RCMP.
Aggravating and Mitigating Factors
The board considered aggravating factors, including that the victims were targeted due to their vulnerability and dependency, Gabona was in a position of trust, and the assaults occurred in the victims' homes. Additionally, Gabona had a prior conviction in 1992 for invitation to sexual touching, for which he received 12 months of probation. Mitigating factors included Gabona's confession, guilty plea, apparent remorse, low risk of reoffending, and strong community support. While in custody, he completed the Sex Offender Moderate Intensity Program.
Victim's Family Reacts
Rick Boguski, whose brother Darryl was victimized by Gabona, wrote a letter to the warden of the Saskatchewan Penitentiary calling for the parole board's decision to be reversed. He stated that his brother, who is blind and has epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and autism, had his voice discounted because “he is verbal but not articulate.” According to Boguski, Darryl remains frightened in bathrooms and during bedtime routines, as those were the places and moments when he was abused.
