A Prince George man found guilty of sexually assaulting a boy over seven years was released on parole in July under strict residential conditions.
Walter Albert Ceal, 47, was sentenced in 2010 to seven years in prison on charges related to sexually assaulting a boy he had first encountered while babysitting. The victim's identity is protected by the courts and was redacted from the documents.
"You continue to maintain that you did not sexually assault the victim," the parole board said in its decision, dated July 6, which was one of the reasons it used to justify Ceal's living restrictions.
His residence must be approved by the Correctional Service of Canada.
While Ceal has since agreed the "relationship" was inappropriate and admitted he was grooming the victim, the decision said Ceal still believes he has "'no harmful sexual behaviour' and no 'thinking that supports harmful sexual behaviour.'"
That, along with the failure to acknowledge guilt "is of great concern." The offences involved numerous and progressive instances of masturbation, fellatio and anal intercourse, according to a Citizen story in 2012. The boy was between the ages of nine and 16 years old when the assault occurred.
"Your offences involved planning and grooming the victim and included fondling, (redacted word), anal intercourse, viewing of pornography and the making of pornography," the decision noted.
That stopped in 2007 when the boy attempted suicide and made his first disclosure while under psychiatric care in the hospital.
"You caused psychological harm to the victim but have expressed little regret for your actions," the board said.
In 2012, Ceal, who has no prior criminal record, lost an appeal of his sexual assault convictions. In reaching the guilty verdict in 2010, Supreme Court Justice John Truscott noted that while Ceal denied any sexual activity with the boy, he admitted he and the boy slept together in the same bed on many occasions.
"Your trial judge did not find you to be credible," the July parole board decision said, "and convicted you based on the testimony of the victim and other evidence."
In order to monitor substance use and relationships, the board said he is "in great need of a strongly structured environment" - and denied his first choice of residence.
It also noted Ceal planned to live with a person who didn't believe Ceal committed the "index offence" - in this case sexual assault.
"There is also concern that the victim may still reside in your desired release area."
Ceal was also denied residence to a halfway house in that area, but was accepted at community residential facilities in other locations.
Other restrictions prevent him from watching pornography because he gave pornographic material to the victim "in order to facilitate (his) criminal offending."
He's also prevented from using a computer or devices with access to the internet because it too was used to facilitate the offences.
Assessments suggest that Ceal is a pedophile attracted to boys, but a diagnosis could not be confirmed because Ceal refused to participate in the testing.
"Your ongoing sexual interest in young boys and lack of progress in other areas casts doubt on your ability to sexually self-regulate."
Although Ceal is listed as low or moderate to reoffend, the board must justify any residential conditions by proving the alternative would mean the person presents an "undue risk to society."
Four out of five offenders won't commit indictable - or serious - offences after release, it said.
A July 2010 psychiatric assessment suggested the same low risk, but said Ceal had "the predatory skills for targeting potential victims and that given the opportunity to do so (he is) likely to target such potential victims in the foreseeable future."
While Ceal was on bail before trial, probation officers said he was difficult to supervise and spoke "in a sarcastic, mocking and dismissive tone of voice."
He also refused to provide addresses for worksites and was "resistant and defiant" when pressed for information. While it said he likely breached his probation, no charges were laid.
Ceal participated in sex offender programs, but the board questioned what benefit it did.
Ceal's case management team told the board that when he is released, Ceal plans "on living a swinger lifestyle with casual sexual partners" and the board later noted he planned to "resume a dysfunctional lifestyle."
It also called Ceal "opportunistic" and said he had used ecstasy and "perceived that drug use had drastically increased (his) sex drive and had decreased (his) ability to maintain appropriate boundaries."
Other parole conditions include no drug or alcohol use (he will be subject to urine tests); reporting any friendships or sexual relationships; no unsupervised contact with youth under the age of 18 and no contact with the victim.
Ceal's statutory release happened on July 13 and he will have completed his sentence in November 2017.
-- with files from Mark Nielsen
