A Prince George man serving a federal sentence for convictions related to child pornography and luring must remain in a halfway house when he begins statutory release.
A Parole Board of Canada member imposed the condition on James Sidney Bell after learning he violated a special condition of his day parole release when he failed to report a relationship with a woman.
On sign-out sheets at the community residential facility where he was staying, Bell claimed he was going for a walk or to buy groceries when, in fact, he was going to the home of the woman and her 17-year-old daughter, which was also a violation of his conditions.
Bell initially claimed he was working at the home and did not enter the residence. When his parole officer said she would follow up with the woman, Bell admitted he entered the home, kissed the woman and met her teenage daughter.
He also told the woman he was serving a sentence for drug offences, not sexual offences involving children, and possessed a cellphone with internet access which he said was given to him by another woman with whom he also had a sexual relationship.
Bell's actions "showed dishonesty and selfishness" and a return to behaviour consistent with his established crime cycle, the member said in the decision.
In July 2018, Bell was sentenced to three years in federal prison for making and distributing child pornography and luring a young teenage girl over the internet.
He was granted day parole in December 2019. Correctional Service Canada reported the breaches to the parole board in May 2020 and a parole board panel subsequently confirmed revocation of his day parole in June 2020.
The decision to keep Bell in a halfway house while on statutory release was issued on July 31.
With the exception of those serving life or indeterminate sentences, statutory release mandated by law after they have served two-thirds of their sentence if full parole was not already granted.
Those who breach their conditions can be returned to prison and see their statutory release revoked for the remainder of their sentence.
Day parole, in which offenders must return to a facility at night, is typically granted six months before one third of the sentence has been served and, depending on the their behaviour, full parole is granted after one third. Those on full parole can serve the remainder of their sentence in the community of their choice.
