Wayne Flemming, a longtime standup comic and actor, has been convicted of sexual assault involving a teenage girl.  He will be sentenced to six months’ house arrest and 100 hours of community service, according to the Belleville Intelligencer.

Flemming was arrested last year on counts of sexual assault, sexual interference, trafficking a controlled substance and invitation to sexual touching.  As part of Flemming’s plea agreement, the Ontario Court of Justice has dropped the three lesser charges.

Flemming has appeared on Ken Finkleman’s CBC miniseries Married Life (1995.)  Film credits include Rebel High (1987), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Cinderella Man (2005), Fever Pitch (2005) and Heartstopper (2006.)

In February 2000, Flemming suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage.  The hemorrhage left him clinically dead at one point.  Jim Carrey is a longtime friend of Flemming’s, temporarily halting production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) to visit Flemming at a Kingston hospital.

I respect Flemming’s longevity and tenacity, but this is a shame.  Flemming’s in his early sixties.  It’ll be interesting to see how the conviction will affect his career.  It’s not like Flemming’s career is at a high point right now.

As an aside, the Belleville Intelligencer has misidentified the date of Flemming’s brain hemorrhage as 1995.  It’s a mistake that has wafted into the pages of the Toronto Sun, London Free Press and other Quebecor Media outlets.  I just love concentrated media ownership!