High-risk sex offender with history of targeting kids released into Vancouver

Police are warning the public about a high-risk sex offender with a history of targeting kids who has moved into a Vancouver halfway house.

Thirty-five-year-old Kristjon Otto Olson is a convicted federal sex offender, who served time on a multiple sex charges including sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and a slew of child pornography related offences.

Police said Olson poses a “significant risk for committing sexual offences against children,” and that the Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) believes he is at a “very high” risk of reoffending.

“At risk are female and male children and teenagers, including strangers, acquaintances, intimate partners and the general public,” said Vancouver police Const. Jason Doucette in a media release.

Olson is described as aboriginal, 5’8″ tall and 200 lbs. He has a stocky build, short, light brown hair and brown eyes.

Olson has been granted statutory release, which refers to a provision in Canadian law that offenders who aren’t serving life sentences be released from prison after completing two-thirds of their sentence, to be supervised in the community.

However, the correctional service has the power to recommend to the Parole Board of Canada that prisoners be denied statutory release in specific cases, including if there are reasonable grounds to believe the offender is likely to commit certain crimes before the end of their sentence, including sexual offences against children.

CKNW has reached out to the CSC for comment on why Olson’s case did not meet this criteria.

Olson has been released into the community under the following conditions

• He must wear an electronic monitoring device
• Not to consume, purchase, or possess alcohol or drugs
• Not to own, use or possess a computer, or any technological device, that would allow you unsupervised access to the internet
• Not to purchase, acquire, possess or access pornography or sexually explicit material in any form or type of media
• To report all intimate sexual and non-sexual relationships and friendships with any person who has parental responsibility for children under the age of 18
• Not to be in, near, or around places where children under the age of 18 are likely to congregate, such as elementary and secondary schools, parks, swimming pools, and recreation centres
• Not to be in the presence of any male or female children under the age of 18

Anyone who sees Olson violate any of these conditions is asked to call 911 immediately.