A sex offender who Penticton RCMP consider a high risk to reoffend has moved to the city.
Donald Michel Bakker was convicted in 2005 of two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm, sexual assault and seven counts of invitation to sexual touching and received a 10-year sentence.
Penticton RCMP issued a public interest warning under the Privacy Act of Canada that Don Michel Bakker was released from prison on May 31 in the Lower Mainland and has relocated to Penticton.
Bakker has been deemed a high risk to reoffend sexually and RCMP said he poses a risk to the safety of female children under the age of 18 and to female sex-trade workers.
According to the CBC, Bakker was a former hotel worker in Vancouver and was the first person convicted under Canada's sex tourism law. Three of his guilty pleas stemmed from attacks on women in B.C. and the rest involved children outside the country. He was originally charged with 22 counts of assault involving adult prostitutes and 16 counts related to children in a foreign country.
The Vancouver Province reported that Bakker repeatedly refused to participate in sex offender rehabilitation programs during his incarceration and denied he was a risk to the community.
The 48-year-old man is described as five-foot-six, 155 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair, which is currently shaved off.
Bakker is subject to court-ordered conditions including no contact with anyone under the age of 18, not to attend a public park or public swimming area where persons under the age of 18 are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, by a daycare centre, school ground, playground, campground, trailer park or area where children under the age of 18 are known to congregate.
Bakker cannot be in contact with any sex trade worker, is not to have any pornography or pornographic material in his possession or residence, not own, possess or access any personal computer or electronic device inclusive of a cellular phone capable of accessing the Internet. He is not to possess any cameras or video cameras, weapons, tool or device that can be used for the purpose of restraint including duct tape, straps, rope or wire unless specifically required for on-site employment.
Bakker is not to be outside his residence between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily except for the purposes of employment and with the prior written permission from his bail supervisor.