A former TV news reporter convicted of child sex assault is appealing his sentence.

A provincial court judge in Surrey went above the three years Crown was asking for back in August and gave Ron Bencze four years behind bars for sexually assaulting a child over several years.

Now, Bencze's lawyer has filed for leave to appeal on the grounds that the sentence is “demonstrably unfit or clearly falls outside the acceptable range.” 

Court documents argue the judge erred “by overstating the principle of deterrence” and “failing to give appropriate weight to rehabilitation.”

They argue Bencze was remorseful, and a psychologist had testified at his sentencing hearing that he was not in fact a pedophile and was unlikely to reoffend.

The judge disagreed in handing down the sentence.