Eight Manitobans on new child sex offender database

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg sex offender previously known as Mr. JetzTV is one of eight Manitobans on the RCMP’s newly created national high-risk child sex offender database.

Darrell Erwin Ackman, who was convicted in May 2016 on multiple counts of sex assault, living off the avails of prostitution and creating child pornography, and who was approved last year for release to a halfway house, was included on the publicly accessible database because he is deemed a high risk of re-offending and has had information about that risk released publicly before.

Other high-risk sex offenders living in Manitoba on the list include: 49-year-old James Jasper, who was released from Headingley Correctional Centre just last week, and has been convicted of numerous sexual offences against children; Leslie Mercredi, 33, who was released from Milner Ridge Correctional Centre on Nov. 2 and is considered a high risk to reoffend against children, even though he has been in some treatment programs; and Desmond Catcheway, 36, who was released in November after serving a sentence for sending a youth pornographic images and videos. Catcheway, who had been released on conditions, was rearrested the next day for allegedly breaching his probation.

Supt. Caroline Stewart of the RCMP’s behavioural sciences investigative services said people on the list are there for three reasons.

“The criteria for inclusion is that it has to be someone who has been convicted of a sexual offence against children, that they pose a high risk of committing a sexual offence of a sexual nature and also that there was that previous public notification that happened,” Stewart said Thursday.

“It’s to ensure that the public really has an extra tool to be able to make decisions concerning their own public safety. It also helps police to investigate and prevent crimes of a sexual nature as well.”

Lawyer Chris Gamby, who is director of communications with the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, said he worries that the legislation that resulted in the database’s creation has no definition of what a high-risk sexual offender is.

“That term … is usually attached to actuarial risk assessments performed by parole or probation officers,” Gamby said.

“Not everyone convicted of these types of offences are deemed high risk in the context of those assessments.”

Gamby is also concerned what people may do with the information once they see it online.

“The database is new, but the RCMP and other police agencies often release information prior to, or on release, of high-risk offenders anyways,” he said.

“This comes with a risk of vigilantism against these individuals, though the authorities believe this risk is outweighed by public-safety concerns these high-risk individuals may present. The same considerations apply to the database.”

Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in a statement that the government is committed to keeping children safe.

“The high-risk child sex offender database will help to protect children and their communities from harm by providing law enforcement agencies with an additional tool to ensure appropriate monitoring of high-risk offenders as well as providing the public with verified information to support their personal safety.”

The RCMP said the new database is not linked or affiliated with the National Sex Offender Registry, which is accessible only by people working in law enforcement.

Stewart said the RCMP relies on police across Canada to recommend who should be included in the database.

“We can put on there the information that was previously disclosed in one of those public notifications,” she said. “We cannot put anything different than what was on the original public notification.

“The RCMP is going to do annual reviews as well and work with the provinces and territories to make sure the information we have is all up to date.”

» Winnipeg Free Press