Burlington Man Gets 5 Years for Threats Against Women

WARNING: This story contains details about threats of physical and sexual violence against women.

A man from Burlington, Ont., who admitted to threatening two women was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison.

De Andre Anderson, 25, was arrested and charged in April 2024 with two counts of making threats “in support of the incel ideology,” as stated by the RCMP.

Justice Jennifer Crawford delivered the sentence in the Ontario Court of Justice in Burlington during a continuation of his hearing.

Crawford mentioned that he would need to serve 860 days, or about 28½ months, after allowing a deduction for pre-sentence custody time totaling 523 days, aligning with what the Crown had requested.

The charges stemmed from a joint investigation involving Halton Regional Police Service and the FBI, which police said could be considered terrorist activity under the law.

Anderson entered a guilty plea back in November. The victims’ identities remain protected due to a publication ban.

During sentencing, Anderson’s mother attended court while he sat quietly in the prisoner’s box for over an hour as Crawford summarized the case and announced his sentence. At times, he was seen wiping his face with his hands.

According to an agreed statement of facts between both sides, Anderson used the online name Mr Ugly420 to publicly post on an incel website between December 2022 and April 2024.

According to an agreed statement of facts between both sides, Anderson used the online name Mr Ugly420 to publicly post on an incel website between December 2022 and April 2024. (Pablo Lagarto/Shutterstock)

After his arrest, police discovered a plan created by Anderson aimed at killing his dentist along with “a plan to stab/attack women randomly.”

The Crown argued that these two charges represent terrorist activities under Canadian law.

Crawford pointed out that although Anderson didn’t act on his threats, by sharing “his abhorrent and hateful thoughts” online through posts, he helped normalize violence against women and others.

Highlighting the seriousness of Anderson’s actions and his level of accountability as “high,” Crawford decided that five years in custody appropriately reflects both the gravity of his offenses and his degree of responsibility.

She mentioned that time spent in prison would provide opportunities for “rehabilitation” while keeping him away from society.

Parole eligibility

Since being incarcerated on April 29, 2024 , Crawford noted that Anderson has completed a total of thirteen hours across several programs over various days. These include :

• Anger management.
• Thoughts to action.
• Managing stress.
• Use of leisure time.
• Understanding feelings.
• Supportive relationships.
• Recognizing health relationships.
• Changing habits.
• Problem solving.
• Looking for work.
• Relapse prevention.

After trial , Anderson expressed regret regarding his actions , including posting online about violence he wanted to commit.

“ I regret everything that I said on the incel forum , ” Anderson said in the Milton Ontario Court of Justice.

“ I don’t know what I was thinking. ”

Crawford mentioned that if Anderson commits himself fully to rehabilitative efforts until he’s no longer considered a “ risk , ” then release into society could happen “ under strict supervision from parole authorities ” if deemed appropriate later by the Parole Board.

She mandated that he must serve at least half of his sentence before being eligible for parole according to regulations laid out by the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

The act indicates when someone receives a prison sentence lasting two years or more-like life sentences related to terrorism offenses-the court must order them to serve either half their sentence or ten years first before qualifying for full parole , whichever amount is smaller.

If you’re affected by this news report, you can look for mental health support through resources in your province or territory.

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