The public wasn't warned of Taylor Dueck's release to Kelowna, despite repeated offences and a previous public warning in Abbotsford.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

CONTENT ADVISORY

A man arrested in Kelowna for sexually assaulting a young girl was seen as an "extreme" risk to the public if he was released without supervision.

Upon his release, which the public was not made aware of, Taylor Albert Stanley Dueck allegedly assaulted a young girl in a bathroom while his court-ordered supervisor waited outside in a car.

Dueck was arrested last month and awaits a bail hearing, less than a year-and-a-half after the Parole Board of Canada denied his early release.

The parole board found the repeat offender not only had a high risk to reoffend, but he had a "poor history" under community supervision and lacked insight into his own offences. It decided to keep him behind bars until the end of his 12-month sentence.

He was 27 years old at the time of the October 2022 parole hearing and he had spent the previous nine years either in custody or under court-ordered supervision for sexual violence.

Despite that, there was no public warning when Dueck was released to Kelowna and allegedly assaulted a young girl at a horse barn, sparking criticism from politicians and spurring an investigation into the provincial bureaucracy that decided not to alert the public.

READ MORE: More offenders released to Kelowna without notice: MLA

In 2020, he lured a 10-year-old girl into a tent and offered her $20 to "keep a secret." He hugged her from behind, touching her stomach and vagina, according to the decision. He told police that he did it for "self-gratification" and that he would have done more if she didn't run out of the tent.

Dueck had been released after serving a 4.5-year sentence for sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon two months earlier. Abbotsford Police Department had warned the public of his release in February 2020. The circumstances of that offence were not detailed in the parole board decision.

The decision does say Dueck spent nearly his entire childhood in foster care, apprehended by the Ministry of Child and Family Development at the age of one.

The ministry was concerned he was neglected, but he was "exposed to and experienced" physical and sexual abuse while in care. He did develop a "loving relationship" with a foster mother at one of the homes he was placed in.

According to the decision, Dueck has a "predilection for inappropriate and at times violent sexual gratification."

READ MORE: JONESIE: Public loses when predator's privacy wins

He hadn't taken part in any programming to address his mental health issues or his offending at the time of the parole hearing.

Dueck, who has a learning disability, mental health concerns and cognitive deficits, did not reoffend while he was on bail for two years after the tent assault, according to the decision.

The board still found it "highly concerning" that he assaulted the young girl so quickly after his release, adding that he would have to remain under supervision during his three-year probation.

While Dueck awaits a decision on whether he'll be released on bail again, the province is investigating both the agencies tasked with supervising him and those that decided not to notify the public of his release.

BC RCMP "sought" to disclose his name before his release, but decided against it. It's not clear whether BC Corrections even considered doing so.

RCMP have not provided any specifics to explain why the public was not told about the repeat sexual offender.

Personal Lifestyle Support Inc. was contracted by the Crown agency Community Living BC to supervise Dueck. It was that company's employee who was allegedly in a car for two hours while he assaulted the 11-year-old girl.

The Crown agency said it is reviewing its contracts with that company. It's still working for Community Living, but said it has no other clients under court-ordered supervision.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024