Probation for convicted sex offender

The donation of a tablet computer to a local charity led police to a convicted sex offender who in 2016 was deemed to be of high risk to reoffend.

Bobby Mathieson was released from a federal penitentiary in October 2016 after completing a 37-month sentence on charges of making, printing, publishing or possessing child pornography for the purpose of publication.

Mathieson, who had been deemed a high risk to re-offend by Correctional Services Canada, was under a court order that he not possess any device capable of storing data in a digital format such as a cell phone or computer.

On May 14, 2018, the 41-year-old came to the attention of police after an employee at Goodwill Niagara on Morrison Street was sorting through a bag of donations and came across a tablet and charger.

Staff went through the device in order to delete any personal information before the item was to be sold and came across a number of pornographic websites.

Concerned, the store contacted police. A check of the store’s surveillance video determined Mathieson had dropped off the bag at the store.

In an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Friday, Mathieson pleaded guilty to breaching a court order and was placed on probation for three years.

Defence counsel John Lefurgey told Judge Peter Wilkie the websites visited on the tablet were not child pornography.

“He had the tablet three days and he realized he was doing a bad thing and decided to donate it rather than throw it in the garbage,” he said.

During the duration of the probation, the defendant must abide by the conditions imposed in the previous order including that he not communicate with anyone under 16.

Niagara Regional Police in 2016 held a community notification advisory committee hearing to decide how to handle the defendant’s return in Niagara.

The committee unanimously agreed to disclose information about the offender and, in a rare move, the NRP issued a public safety warning, advising residents the defendant had returned to Niagara and was considered a high risk to reoffend.