VANCOUVER -- A high-risk sex offender is moving into a halfway house in Vancouver, according to a public warning issued by police Thursday.
Convicted sex offender John Ambrose Seward poses a significant risk to women in the community, police said.
The 33-year-old is currently serving a 10-year, long-term supervision order for convictions of sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and aggravated assault.
Seward is described as Indigenous, 5'8" tall, with a medium build, short black hair and brown eyes. He has "MS" tattooed on his left hand, flames on his left forearm and a cross on his right forearm.
As part of his supervision order, Seward is required to comply with a variety of conditions, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
While living in the community, he cannot consume, purchase or possess alcohol or drugs other than prescribed medication.
He cannot associate with any person believed to be involved in criminal activity or substance misuse and he must immediately report all contacts with females to his parole supervisor.
Seward is also prohibited from going to central Vancouver Island and cannot be in, near or around any park. He must reside at a Community Correctional Centre, a Community Residential Facility or another residential facility.
Anyone who sees Seward in violation of any of these conditions is asked to call 911, police said.
Thursday’s warning from Vancouver police is not the first one they’ve issued about Seward.
Seward served five-and-a-half years for aggravated sexual assaults that stemmed from a string of disturbing incidents in Port Alberni in 2009. One of those incidents involved Seward sexually assaulting a woman at knife-point.
He was later released in Nanaimo but in 2015, Seward was arrested after someone reported seeing him at a public park, which was a breach of one of his 19 release conditions.
