High-risk sex offender James Conway has been charged for allegedly breaching his conditions just nine days after being released into Surrey.
Transit Police arrested Conway Tuesday morning after tracking him from his halfway house onto a Surrey bus, where he allegedly sat next to a young girl.
One of his 27 release conditions is that he stay away from girls under 18 years old, including on transit.
“He chose to sit beside a 14-year-old girl. There were other seats available to him at the time,” Transit Police spokeswoman Anne Drennan said. “He rode for several stops before he went to get off the bus and our officers arrested him without incident.”
Conway also allegedly broke a condition requiring him to carry a copy of his release conditions at all times.
The 40-year-old is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday on two counts of breach of probation order.
News of Conway’s arrest was a relief to many Surrey residents, including Mayor Linda Hepner, who was outraged the convict was released into her community.
“I’m really thankful for the work of the Transit Police and for the diligence of the RCMP in this matter and I’m just very grateful that no one got hurt,” Hepner said Tuesday.
Hepner has asked B.C.’s Attorney General to bring in new laws to keep the public safe when high-risk offenders return from prison.
“When you attach the phrase ‘high-risk’ to an offender and it needs that many conditions, you can seriously expect something is going to happen,” she said.
Authorities said Conway has a pattern of sexual offending against girls, and his criminal history includes counts of sexual interference of a person under 16, sexual assault, arson damaging property, and others.
Conway was last convicted for breaching his conditions last year. Transit Police arrested him in April 2014 for looking down young girls’ shirts on the SkyTrain, and using a teddy bear to try and talk to them.
He was sentenced to 10 months in jail and three years’ probation.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Nafeesa Karim
