Our newsroom room is legally obligated to not identify this offender, who attempted to lure his young teenaged stepdaughter for sexual purposes. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

sex offender

Oceanside man sentenced for sexually luring stepdaughter

May 23, 2025 | 6:37 AM

Editors note: this article contains details of sexual luring involving a child, which may not be suitable for some readers. Discretion is strongly advised.

NANAIMO — Highly disturbing propositions made to a man’s 14-year-old stepdaughter will have lifelong repercussions, the victim’s tearful mother told court.

A 30-year-old Oceanside area offender, who can’t legally be identified to protect the victim’s identity, received a rarely issued non-custodial jail sentence after pleading guilty to a child luring charge early this year.

In May 2024 in Qualicum Beach, he asked his young teenage stepdaughter a series of highly inappropriate questions on Post-it notes for her to answer, including:

“Do you find me attractive?”

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“If you keep it secret and take it slow, would you try something sexual?”

Shocked and shaken by what she read upon discovering the notes on the offender’s birthday, the victim’s mother filed a report with the B.C. government’s Child Protection Services.

He admitted to asking the lurid questions.

Responses from the victim included clear rejections of the sexual advances.

“It’s been significantly hard to recover from this because it doesn’t affect one child, it affects two, it affects me, it affects my nieces, my mom, it affects our whole family,” the victim’s mother told court.

She and the offender, who were in a long-term relationship, share a child together.

A pre-sentence report and psychiatric assessment were both ordered to gain more insight into the offender, who had no prior criminal record.

The reports showed the offender had an unstable childhood, which included physical abuse from his mother, as well as a volatile relationship with his brother.

Ongoing mental health and sex offender counselling provisions are recommended.

A psychiatrist deemed the man to be a low re-offending risk.

He has several mental health challenges, including depression, social anxiety issues, while he’s also a severe alcohol abuser.

During an impassioned address to the court during a Thursday, May 22 sentencing hearing, the victim’s mother stated the offender had been isolating the victim for several months leading up to the offending.

She told the court that he became upset with suggestions of spending more time together as a family.

“We have one daughter who is so traumatized by a man, and then I have another daughter who is the daughter to that man. There’s no way to live a peaceful life for any of us in that house.”

The victim is significantly negatively impacted, isn’t attending school because of the severe breach of trust, doesn’t talk much to her friends, and is withdrawn from family, her mother reported.

Defence attorney Michael Ritzker informed the court his client is apologetic and remorseful.

His client has also paid a heavy price for his conduct beyond the legal consequences, Ritzker said, stating the man’s actions are well known in the local community.

“Online, there have been threats on community forums against my client. He’s had people follow him to his residence; he’s had his car vandalized,” Ritzker said, who noted the offender is employed and has had a strong work history.

While initially declining to address the court, the offender rose to apologize during a brief, unscripted statement.

He faced his distraught former partner while doing so.

“I understand the impact this is having, I know there’s nothing I can do to fix it, but I can take responsibility. I didn’t want to lose my whole family and everybody I love. I’m sorry.”

The offender pleaded guilty to a charge of invitation to sexual touching under 16, which typically results in jail time, according to general sentencing principles.

However, unique factors resulted in a jointly accepted sentence recommendation of a one-year conditional sentence order (CSO), followed by one year’s probation.

“It’s rare in a charge like this for the elements of the offence to be purely an invitation without any physical contact – it’s not seen often in our courts. It’s a very serious offence to commit,” judge Chris Churchill said.

During the initial CSO portion of the sentence now in effect, the offender will be on daily house arrest between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Three years of tailored restrictive conditions for sex offenders will take effect following the probationary period, which is slated to expire next May 22.

Throughout the entirety of five years of court monitoring, he’ll face various restrictions regarding contacting, being in public places, being in the presence/authority of children under the age of 16, unless granted permission to the contrary.

He’ll also appear on the National Sex Offender Registry for 10 years, which is a police-only accessible database to more easily track the current location of nationwide sex offenders.

He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample.

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