Simon Rypiak, who was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for recruiting women to work in the sex trade on his behalf, has been granted full parole.
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March 31, 2021 - 6:00 AM
A Kelowna man, who was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for recruiting women to work in the sex trade on his behalf, has been granted full parole.
In 2015, Simon Walter Rypiak, who is now 37, hired a woman through an online dating site to work for him, according to Parole Board of Canada documents.
He set a daily quota, kept all of her earnings and in exchange, he provided her with food, clothes shelter and covered her work expenses.
This woman later helped him recruit three others through the dating site, according to the Parole Board decision.
As time wore on, Rypiak was also verbally, sexually and physically abusive to the woman and she reported it to police and he was arrested.
He was released on bail a short time later and the charge related to that woman’s allegations were stayed in December of 2015.
However, the other women provided statements and Rypiak faced new charges in August 2016, to which he eventually pleaded guilty.
Since April 2019, he’s been in prison, where he’s undergone assessments and been granted access to treatment of varying kinds.
He completed the requisite Sex Offender programming with some noted gains in his insight and remorse for the harm he caused the victims.
“A Psychological Risk Assessment, completed in May 2020, assessed (him) as a moderate risk to re-offend sexually on conditional release, and a high risk to offend against an intimate partner, with (his) victim pool limited to intimate partners,” read the parole document.
The psychologist recommended that (he) participate in specific programming to address domestic violence, and that (he) be required to report all relationships.”
Rypiak was already released on day parole to reside at a community residential facility Sept. 30, 2020, with unrestricted leave privileges though there were a number of conditions, including reporting all sexual and non-sexual relationships and friendships with women, not owning any device that would allow unsupervised access to the Internet or access to a website or app related to dating, or making friends.
“While on day parole, there have been no concerns with (his) case management team (CMT) or with the staff at the CRF,” reads the parole document.
“(He is) cooperative and maintains open communication.”
He’s been cooperative and has avoided previously negative relationships.
Overall, Rypiak is said to have used his time on day parole as it was intended and made gains during his time in custody and in the community.
“When considering all the factors in (his) case, and, while not minimizing the nature and gravity of (his) index offences, it is the Board's opinion that (he) will not present an undue risk to society if released on full parole, and that (his) release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating (his) reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen,” read the decision.
As such, the board granted full parole effective at the expiration of his day parole, with conditions.
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