After being sentenced to five years in prison last May on sex-related offences, Sarnia's former fire chief is out on bail pending appeal. 56-year-old Pat Cayen stands convicted of 33 counts involving four young females. His lawyer, Phillip Millar, confirms notice has been filed with the Ontario Court of Appeal and an application for bail, pending appeal, was successful.
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Millar says the appeal alleges there was an error in law in terms of mixing adult and youth indictments and allowing similar fact evidence to be applied to both cases. He says his client maintains his innocence and is strongly supported by his wife and family and some past workers in the fire department. Millar says Cayen is subject to stringent bail conditions almost identical to those when he was awaiting trial. He says it could take three months just to get an appeal date set with the Ontario Court of Appeal. Cayen was initially charged in November 2012 and his employment with the city fire department was terminated in January 2013.