A B.C. man is expected to face criminal charges after police say he papered walls in Penticton with posters calling a local realtor a sex offender and linking a city councillor to the Nazi party.

The 48-year-old Penticton man was arrested on Aug. 20 after a seven-month investigation into posters falsely advertising that a prominent realtor was a "convicted sex offender" and "rapist, wanted by police."

A second series of posters targeted a lawyer and former Penticton mayor, reading: "Vote for Mike Pearce Nazi Party."

The posters appeared throughout town in January and surveillance video captured the suspect on tape, but RCMP Sgt. Rick Dellebuur told ctvbc.ca that the suspect appears to have left town for a few months.

He described the targets of the two posters as "prominent Penticton residents," who have seen their personal and business lives impacted by the false charges against them.

"You can imagine if you're a businessman in the community...it's certainly going to have a detrimental effect on yourself," Dellebuur said.

"These comments were totally unsubstantiated in any way."

Pearce -- a 23-year veteran of politics -- said he's more concerned about the impact on his family.

"I'm tougher than a lot of people. When you're in politics, you get called a lot of things," he said.

"But it bothered my wife and children.... My wife's locking the door and everything for the past few months."

Pearce said that he has never met the suspect, but he hopes the man gets professional help before he does something more serious.

"This man needs to be stopped in his tracks and re-assessed for mental health issues," he said.

According to Pearce, the suspect wrote an apology letter after his arrest for what he described as "slander and false accusations," in which he explains that he understands what it feels like when people believe things that aren't true.

"Hopefully he means that and he's accepted emotional responsibility," Pearce said.

The realtor who was targeted by the false allegations of sex-related convictions doesn't want to be named, according to Pearce.

"I think it was hard for him," Pearce said. "He's as clean as they come."

He explained that the realtor's name has now been inextricably linked to the posters, false though their messages may be. Pearce acknowledged that even he approached the man to ask if the accusations were correct.

"It disappointed him that I would even ask him if he had been convicted of this," he said.

The suspect is due to appear in court on Wednesday morning. Police have recommended charges of defamatory libel.

Unlike regular defamation, which is a civil matter, defamatory libel is a criminal offence in Canada and can be punished by as much as two years in prison.

Dellebuur said the charge is an uncommon one. "I have 32 years experience myself, and it's the first time I've ever seen this."