TRURO, N.S.—A Nova Scotia contractor who shares the exact name of a recently
released sexual predator says it has created a case of mistaken identity
that is costing him business.
In an interview Wednesday, Donald Duane
Bartlett said his Truro business, Nova Scotia Renovations Group, started
getting “nasty calls” about three weeks ago that left him baffled.
Donald Duane Bartlett, left, has a Truro, N.S. renovation business. Donald
Duane Bartlett, right, is a recently released high-risk sex offender who will be
living in the Halifax area. (Photos
via The Canadian Press)
Bartlett said at first he thought the calls were related to Facebook posts
he made about a former employee who he says stole some tools from his
business.
“Business started dropping off like crazy and then I had no more
clients to go to,” said Bartlett, who goes by Donnie.
Bartlett said it was finally suggested to him that he do a check online.
“And that was after a phone call I got from a lady who said she Googled me
and wasn’t very impressed,” he said. “After I Googled it ... I came up with
25 or 30 search things about a man who had the same exact name as myself.”
What Bartlett found were several stories following a public warning issued
by police in Halifax about a 49-year-old man with the same name who had
recently been released after serving a prison sentence for crimes involving
child pornography.
The Aug. 9 police warning said Donald Duane Bartlett was a high-risk sex
offender who would be living in the Halifax area.
Police also released a photo of the Bartlett in question and said he had
served time for distribution of child pornography, printing-publishing child
pornography, possession of child pornography and counselling another person
to commit an indictable offence that was not committed.
“Bartlett has a criminal record that includes convictions for sexual
offences against children and has been assessed as a high risk to re-offend
in a sexual manner,” the advisory said.
Donnie Bartlett, who is 54, says he was forced to go public with his
story on Facebook and he has been doing media interviews to set the
record straight.
“I just thought maybe I would use Facebook as a tool
and see if I could get something done,” he said. “It kind of went a
little viral for around here, I mean I got a thousand shares.”
Const. John McLeod, a spokesperson for Halifax Regional Police, said
they have not talked with Donnie Bartlett in Truro.
“But, from my
understanding the person we’ve sent out the alert about lives here in
Halifax and doesn’t live in Truro,” said McLeod.
He said police try to be as specific as they can when they send out
such information.
“It is unfortunate,” McLeod said. “Usually the inclusion of a middle
name will differentiate that from most people, as well as most
importantly the photograph, which is very specific to the one person as
opposed to anybody else.”
He said people can ask for a criminal records check from their local
police to bolster their own credibility if someone questions who they
are.
Bartlett said posting his story has gradually gained him support from
people in his community and from across the province.
Now he just has to start getting his business back on its feet.
He said his small business builds garages and sheds and does “all
kinds of renovations” including windows, doors and fencing.
“I had four employees and I had to let them go,” he said. “I’m hoping
to get them back.”
Source
