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MP kept in dark about pervert
Seeks assurance Junction
children safe
By BRETT CLARKSON, SUN
MEDIA
The Toronto Sun
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December 10, 2007
The placement of a high-risk pedophile in a west-end halfway house surprised even the MP for the neighbourhood, who said she first found out about convicted sex attacker Christopher Goodwin from the newspapers. Parkdale-High Park MP Peggy Nash vowed to contact Corrections Canada today to find out what measures are in place to protect the residents who live near the Keele Community Correctional Centre on Keele St. near Dundas St. W. The Sun reported this weekend that Goodwin, 26,
was moved to the Keele facility after serving a
two-and-half- The NDP MP said yesterday she wanted to hear from corrections staff how they plan to ensure Goodwin doesn't become a threat to the children who live in the Junction neighbourhood. "I was not familiar with him before I read about him in the papers this weekend," Nash said. "All I know -- we were not notified in advance -- is what has been released to the media. "I just want to make sure our community is safe." The National Parole Board ruled Goodwin remains a "high risk for reoffending," even after intense sex offender treatment. Parole papers show Goodwin pounced on the 6-year-old girl in front of shoppers in the Cedarbrae Mall, lifted her dress, pulled down her underwear and attempted to assault her before onlookers and the girl's parents pulled him off. Goodwin himself has said he fears he may act out his sinister fantasy of taking a young girl as a sex slave, then killing her. He has admitted to sexually assaulting six children between the ages of 3 and 12, according to his parole files. After doing time for the mall attack, he served a 150 days for distributing child pornography, according to documents. The court also imposed a long-term supervision order of 10 years. NO WARNING Goodwin was first assigned to the Portsmouth Centre halfway house in Kingston, but a police alert there enraged the community and he went back behind bars for breaches of his release conditions. Over the weekend, Junction residents expressed shock over the fact they weren't warned about Goodwin. Neither police nor a corrections spokesman would confirm that Goodwin was booked into the Keele facility. |