Internet predator gets parole less than a year into 9-year sentence

[jolinar of malkshor]

A convicted internet predator who victimized two Alberta teens by trying to get them to perform sexual acts on camera has been given day parole after serving less than a year of his nine-year sentence.

Joshua Innes was 25 when he was sentenced last August after pleading guilty to two counts of child internet luring, two counts of extortion and one count of distributing child pornography. The charges stemmed from two cases, one involving a 14-year-old Airdrie, Alta., girl and the other, a 13-year-old Edmonton girl.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/st...-released.html

Wait.....WHAT? He gets 9 years. A judge actualy gives the guy 9 years and the friggen idiots at the parole board decide to let this guy out after 1 year?

OMG, our justice system is just getting beyond pathetic. The justification for releasing this guy is "They found that there was not reasonable grounds to believe that he would commit a violent offence." Really?? What about just another kiddie tickling offence? Thats ok? Yet a month earlier they say

"This type of offence is often prelude to actual in-person meetings and sexual contact. The board is quite concerned that this might have been the next step in your very well structured and planned scheme to groom vulnerable victims,"

WTF is going on? It is time to send a message to Ottawa to reduce the power of the parole board.

[Kjesse]

Parole boards aren't known for taking sentences lightly, especially not in Canada. Some parole decisions have led to tragedies, which is probably one of the reasons why parole boards are so tough. Look into that before you latch onto one news article.

Before you send the board members to the stake and burn them, consider what they see every day. People with multiple and serial convictions, rapists, murderers, etc.. (Or maybe you think parole should be abolished? Lots of people think that.)

This guy may have been headed in the direction of a rapist, but its better to monitor him while you can, over 8 years in the community, than let him out at the end of 9 years free as a bird, not knowing what would happen.

By giving him limited freedom now they'll be able to force him to adjust, and he won't be truly 'free' until his sentence is complete.

I don't want to belittle his crime, because it is serious, but it was through a webcam. He had a creepy sense of power and abused it, and did some disgusting things. I actually think 9 years is pretty harsh if that was his first run-in with the law.

If he was a repeat offender, I'd probably agree that he was let out too soon. But I don't see that in the article.

Remember that in Canada, life in prison is only 25 years.

EDIT: The bigger concern is, the parole board seems to have had a lot of leeway here relative to the sentence.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Delgar

Parole boards aren't known for taking sentences lightly, especially not in Canada. Some parole decisions have led to tragedies, which is probably one of the reasons why parole boards are so tough. Look into that before you latch onto one news article.

Yup they are tough all right.

The RCMP has confimed a second murder charge has been laid against Eric Fish, the convicted killer who was unlawfully at large from a federal halfway house in Vernon, B.C., when he was charged with killing an elderly man in August 2004

Documents showed that before releasing Fish to the halfway house, the National Parole Board ruled he was "high-risk to violently re-offend."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...r.html?ref=rss

There's incredulous outrage that Allan Craig MacDonald (who committed suicide in 1994) had been released in 1989 after only 12 years of a life sentence for a double murder had been served. Within a year he killed Shaw.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Colum...f-1176110.html

Police in British Columbia have charged a man with seven counts of first-degree murder in a series of drug-related killings in 1995 and 1996

Moyes, who's from Victoria, was on day parole from the minimum-security Ferndale Institution in Fraser Valley when the Abbotsford murders took place, according to Sheldon Fraser, an official with the National Parole Board.
Moyes has a prolific criminal history that began in the 1970s. He has 36 convictions on his record, including three counts of attempted murder. He has also escaped from three B.C. correctional institutes

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...s_name=&no_ads=

A paroled murderer who stabbed a man during a crackhouse binge has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/296319

Sooooo, ya, they are doing a bang up job. Or should I list more?

[Daradon]

Arg.

ANd Bush gets a pension plan? And secret service?

Seriously jol, if you are going to be this decisive...

EDIT: I hate diddlers as much as you do. But I really want you to make it more black and white for me. PLEASE!

The edit to show my original sarcasm and satire, which I am often found guilty of (by N00bs)

[Crispy's Critter]

I guess in this case all you can hope for is that while he was in jail he found out that "Jailbait13" was actually his cellmate, a giant black man named Bubba


Really though it isn't a surprise that they would let someone out for his type of crime, as it costs a lot to keep people in jail, and chances are that some politician(s) are probably pushing the parole board to release the lowest risk offenders in order to save money. The problem is that mistakes can be made if that is the case, because just because someone looks as if they aren't a risk to re-offend, there are no guarantees.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Arg.

ANd Bush gets a pension plan? And secret service?

Seriously jol, if you are going to be this decisive...

EDIT: I hate diddlers as much as you do. But I really want you to make it more black and white for me. PLEASE!

The edit to show my original sarcasm and satire, which I am often found guilty of (by N00bs)

Sorry Daradon, I have no idea what you are talking about here......

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by fotze

What's the big deal, a victimless crime. Clearly.

It is not in green, so are you being serious?

[Kjesse]

Instead of using news reports, how about this:

http://www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca/infocntr/f...le_stats_e.htm

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Delgar

Instead of using news reports, how about this:

http://www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca/infocntr/f...le_stats_e.htm

Good site Delgar, thanks for the post. This stat here was of particular interest.

Between 1975 and 2006 there were 513 homicides committed by 409 offenders on conditional release

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by fotze

Stop posting such depressing things. I challenge you to post something good. A good story of someone doing something good. I know you worked for Val, but you can't let that make you so angry at the bad parts of the world.

Hey now, I post more than just "depressing things", even ones about extension cords. And by the way, I no longer work for Val, haven't for a few years. Besides she wasn't all that bad.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Good site Delgar, thanks for the post. This stat here was of particular interest.

Between 1975 and 2006 there were 513 homicides committed by 409 offenders on conditional release

With about 8000 offenders out on some type of parole at any one time, according to the site.

And over the same period there have been about 90,000 to 95,000 traffic fatalities.

My point is, the parole system is worthwhile, it allows some control over the inmate before they are unconditionally released. Some of the people on parole are going to commit crimes, even murders. Some people who serve their full sentences are also going to commit crimes after release, parole or not.

I don't think the news articles or the parole stats support a revocation of the parole system.

We shouldn't get rid of the parole system to save lives just like we shouldn't get rid of cars to save lives.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Delgar

With about 8000 offenders out on some type of parole at any one time, according to the site.

And over the same period there have been about 90,000 to 95,000 traffic fatalities.

My point is, the parole system is worthwhile, it allows some control over the inmate before they are unconditionally released. Some of the people on parole are going to commit crimes, even murders. Some people who serve their full sentences are also going to commit crimes after release, parole or not.

I don't think the news articles or the parole stats support a revocation of the parole system.

We shouldn't get rid of the parole system to save lives just like we shouldn't get rid of cars to save lives.

Ah, can you please show me where I said anything even close to something regarding eliminating the parole system in Canada.

[Kjesse]

You didn't exactly say that, but you are saying their "power" should be restricted. I'm not sure what that means, unless you want to stop them doing what they already do.

[Weiser Wonder]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

It is not in green, so are you being serious?

With Fotze it's green for serious and black for sarcastic. This will save us from reading all of his posts in green.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Delgar

You didn't exactly say that, but you are saying their "power" should be restricted. I'm not sure what that means, unless you want to stop them doing what they already do.

Ok, a judge hears the case, finds the man guilty. Takes in ALL the evidence and circumstances and decides that a sentence of 9 years is appropriate. Then, we have the parole board that apparantly has the power to decide that the judge doesn't know what the hell he is talking about and reduces the sentence by 80 some percent?

That is what I am saying.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

With Fotze it's green for serious and black for sarcastic. This will save us from reading all of his posts in green.

Thanks for the heads up.