HALIFAX – A Nova Scotia man who pleaded guilty to several counts of child luring and accessing child pornography will be soon be eligible to apply for day parole.
Alexander John Ernst was sentenced to three years in prison on June 1st. Documents obtained by Global News from the Parole Board of Canada indicate Ernst will be eligible to apply for Unescorted Temporary Absence and Day Parole on December 1.
The 29-year-old is eligible to apply for full parole on April 3 of next year. Being eligible to apply for day parole does not mean an automatic release.
Ernst has been a registered sex offender for nearly a decade, with prior convictions for accessing and possessing child pornography.
Police officers in Bridgewater first started an investigation into Ernst after a concerned parent notified police the man was allegedly contacting his 10 and 12-year-old daughters via social media.
Once RCMP started to look into the case, they identified two other victims who had been chatting with the accused and made arrangements to meet with him in person. At the time he entered a guilty plea, police told Global News they had identified six girls under the age of 16 from the Bridgewater area that Ernst had been in contact with.
“It’s tragically not uncommon across Nova Scotia that individuals aren’t using the internet simply for educational or entertainment purpose but for affairs nefarious to communication with children,” said Peter Dostal, Crown Attorney on the case at the time of Ernst’s sentencing.
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