A man with a history of mental health issues was sentenced Tuesday to two years time served and three years probation for making a series of sexual advances on three local youth who were strangers to him.
Matthew David Mikolajczyk, 32, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and a personality disorder, has remained at the Colony Farm forensic hospital in the Lower Mainland after his community release was revoked when he was arrested in April 2014.
In July 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count each of sexual interference of a person under 16, sexual assault and assault from four incidents (one of the youth was targeted twice).
The first occurred on Jan. 13, 2014 at a branch of the Prince George Public Library. A then 10-year-old boy was holding the door open for Mikolajczyk when he leaned in and asked "how are you doing, beautiful?" He then kissed the boy on the mouth before walking away.
The boy told his father, who had been waiting outside the library, and they called the RCMP.
Six days later, a 16-year-old boy was walking home from a local high school when Mikolajczyk came up to him as he was crossing a parking lot and asked if he wanted to hang out under the bridge.
When the boy said no, Mikolajczyk asked for a hug. Stunned, the boy said "huh?" and Mikolajczyk hugged the boy and grabbed his buttocks.
When the boy pulled away, Mikolajczyk kissed him and grabbed his rear again and told him they should "hook up" if they ever saw each other again.
A little over a month later, on Feb. 28, 2014, the same boy was crossing an intersection when Mikolajczyk saw him while walking in the opposite direction.
Mikolajczyk turned around and started to walk beside him.
The boy recognized Mikolajczyk but not before he told the boy he was "cute and sexy," grabbed his buttocks and, as the boy tried to get away, kissed him in the mouth.
As the boy stood frozen in shock, Mikolajczyk kissed him three more times and tried to stick his tongue in the victim's mouth. As the boy managed to get away, Mikolajczyk kissed him one more time on the cheek.
Roughly six weeks later, on April 9, 2014, a 14-year-old boy was walking home from school when Mikolajczyk grabbed him by the arm and told him he was cute.
The boy pushed Mikolajczyk off him, ran home and called police.
Mikolajczyk's sentencing included an order that he stay away from schools, parks, playgrounds and other areas where youth tend to congregate for the next 10 years.
The case ran into a delay because of concern that Mikolajczyk was unfit to stand trial due to his psychological condition.
Mikolajczyk has had a history of run-ins with the law and escapes from Colony Farm. Over four years beginning in September 2012, he escaped the Port Coquitlam facility three times, according to media reports at the time.
He was once apprehended on Saturna Island following a struggle with RCMP and a four-hour search involving a dog, aircraft, an RCMP catamaran, officials from Canada Customs and Parks Canada and several members of the Saturna community.
Prior to sentencing Tuesday at the Prince George courthouse, Mikolajczyk apologized for his actions and said he now understands the emotional harm he caused to his victims.
In statements to the court, one victim said he is afraid of everyone around him other than immediate family members when out in public and another dropped out of a trades program at College of New Caledonia because of the trauma.
