A serial flasher with a long history of exposing himself to children has been granted bail after allegedly breaching a probation order put in place after his last conviction and release.
Court documents show David Ernest Friesen, 67, was granted bail in Vernon Thursday (March 5) after facing two counts of breaching his probation conditions.
His three-year probation, which included 24-hour house arrest, was imposed after Friesen was found guilty of exposing himself to a 13-year-old boy at Kiwanis Park in Penticton in 2018, an incident which in turn occurred while he was out on probation for flashing a mother and two children at the Penticton Library in January 2016.
At his June 2019 sentencing for the 2018 incident, Judge Gregory Koturbash handed him six months in prison, the legal maximum, along with three-years probation and house arrest, expressing his frustration that Friesen had a "high risk" of re-offending.
“Although firmly convinced Mr. Friesen needs to be institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital for his benefit and the benefit of the community, I’m not vested with such powers to make such an order,” Koturbash said.
Because of time served, Friesen was out in 66 days, with his probation conditions including a lifetime ban from parks and areas frequented by kids and no contact with anyone under 16 at all for the three-year term of probation.
Koturbash also banned him from owning animals, after Friesen suggested he would buy a puppy to replace his affection for kids.
Details of this week's bail hearing are covered under a publication ban. Court documents show the alleged breach occurred in February in Vernon.
Friesen will appear in court again on the breach charges at a later date.
— Chelsea Powrie, Castanet
