Parksville man caught with child exploitation material could be deported

He was first flagged by the RCMP’s BC Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in September 2020 when Strawson was confirmed to have uploaded two illegal images the previous month.

The Parksville home where he resided was raided by Oceanside RCMP in December 2020, where a pair of cell phones were seized and analyzed.

Both phones contained thousands of child exploitation images, while one phone held dozens of incriminating videos.

The illegal material included boys and girls as young as six-years-old engaged in forced sex acts with other children and adult males.

Hauschildt pushed for a jail sentence of between six and nine months.

“This court is extremely aware the possession of child sexual abuse materials is a very serious offence. It is an offence that is perpetrated against some of society’s most vulnerable victims.”

While he was sentenced for the lone child sexual abuse and exploitation possession charge, indications of grooming a minor arose.

April 2019 text exchanges between a then 30-year-old Strawson and a person identified as a 14-year-old boy were referenced by Crown counsel.

The pair discussed plans to meet in person, which don’t appear to have materialized.

“The other individual tells Mr. Strawson that he needs advanced permission to meet in person because he needs his father’s permission to leave his house.”

Strawson was charged in July 2022 for his illegal possession of child exploitation material.

He was arrested on Sept. 21, 2022 and released the same day on several conditions, including strict internet usage restrictions.

Strawson’s case was scheduled for trial earlier this year, however he reversed course and elected to plead guilty late last year.

A BC Supreme Court justice issued a jail sentence against Parksville-based sex offender Michael William Strawson on Tuesday, July 8 (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

A pre-sentence and psychological assessments were ordered to obtain more background information on Strawson.

The offender was born in the United Kingdom prior to moving to Canada with his family in 2002.

The following year at the age of 13, Strawson suffered a skull fracture in a skiing accident, placing him in a medically induced coma for two weeks.

Despite the incident, Strawson has no significant mental health issues or other impeding diagnoses, and is considered a low risk to reoffend.

During a detailed forensic assessment, the Crown’s Hauschildt noted Strawson reported he was first exposed to child abuse material in a chat room at the age of 16.

“He did self-report a sexual interest in adolescent females and males. He also indicated to that report writer a happy upbringing free of abuse and neglect.”

Despite being attracted to minors, he reported that he didn’t act on those impulses.

He’s worked for large retail delivery provider Instacart since 2022.

The court-appointed psychologist theorized Strawson’s ski accident may have impacted his ability to mature and could be linked to his offending.

Hauschildt swiftly countered the assertions, stating there is no medical proof backing those claims, noting the conclusion is based on the offender’s self-reporting.

Jail sentences for first time offenders in Canada possessing such material is generally between four months and two years, while non-custodial sentences are highly unusual.

Defence attorney Megan Winkel unsuccessfully argued the psychologist’s findings surrounding how the ski accident may have impacted Strawson’s offending needed to be taken into account.

She argued Strawson’s positive post-offence conduct, willingness to partake in counselling, and his immigration status, are all mitigating factors.

“Incarcerations are typically necessary in almost all cases, except in cases where there are exceptional circumstances. We submit that those exceptional circumstances do exist in Mr. Strawson’s case,” Winkel told court.

Justice Douglas Thompson’s sentence opens the door for Strawson to appeal a potential deportation order, since the punishment of 179 days behind bars works out to slightly under six months’ jail.

Strawson was also handed two years’ probation, followed by five years of restrictive conditions specifically for sex offenders.

His name will also appear on the police-only accessible National Sex Offender Registry for 20 years, while he was also ordered to provide a DNA sample.

In a statement to NanaimoNewsNOW, Instacart confirmed it has severed ties with Strawson.

“We have no tolerance for criminal wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by any individual on our platform. This shopper’s account is no longer active and he is not permitted to shop or deliver with Instacart.”

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by Ian Holmes

Parksville man caught with child exploitation material could be deported

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