Days after Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner spoke out about a high-risk sex predator moving into the city, parents have received an additional warning from the local school district.
A letter sent home with students from all 125 schools in Surrey warns parents that 40-year-old James Conway, known for targeting girls, has taken up residence in the city and is a high risk to reoffend.
His release from custody last week led to a public warning from police and on Tuesday Hepner said she was “livid” about the news.
Conway’s 27 court-ordered conditions include staying away from areas where children are likely to congregate.
“We feel out of precaution, we should let parents know and students,” said Doug Strachan, spokesman for the Surrey School District. “There’s been a considerable amount of media attention to it, but we felt it was incumbent upon us to ensure that parents had the message from us as well.”
Strachan said the district took the step of distributing the news to students at all schools because it is uncertain what area of the city Conway has moved to.
“We haven’t sent it out right across the school district before, I think. We’ve usually been able to determine a neighbourhood where the offender might live,” he said.
Strachan said high school students received a copy of the warning sent out by B.C. Corrections last week along with a photo of Conway, while elementary students were sent home with a statement from and several safety tips for youngsters.
Most of the parents that spoke with CTV News Saturday said they were aware of Conway and had received the letter.
“I think that’s a good idea. The more informed we are about who’s dangerous, perhaps living in our neighbourhood, it gives us a chance to talk to our kids about the dangers of said things,” said parent Mike Dunn. “We all want our children to be safe.”
Conway was arrested for breaching his release conditions in April after Transit Police received a report that a man was looking down young girls’ shirts and using a teddy bear to try and talk to them.
His court-ordered conditions include that he not communicate with anyone under the age of 18, not possess alcohol or controlled substances in a public place, abide by a 10 p.m. curfew and keep away from parks, schools, public swimming areas and anywhere that underage kids could be.
B.C. Corrections says anyone who witnesses Conway violating any of his conditions should contact police.
Full list of safety tips for kids
- Don’t take short cuts. Use main routes and avoid lanes, forested or secluded areas
- Walk with friends
- Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back
- Don’t assist strangers
- Trust your instincts and your feelings
- Phone if you are going to be delayed, or if your plans change
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Maria Weisgarber
