High-risk sex offender returning to Heritage neighbourhood: police
A 42-year-old man who will again be living in the Heritage neighbourhood is considered a high risk to reoffend sexually, the Regina Police Service is advising.
Jason Paul Thorne’s criminal history includes sexual offences, and he has a history of reoffending. He will reside in a residence that provides supervision and monitoring of his activities.
“He poses a high risk for acts of sexual offending against female children,” police said in the public safety alert. “The prospects for reduction of his risk through treatment interventions are poor.”
This is not the first time the Regina Police Service has issued a public warning about Thorne. He was previously released into the neighbourhood in August 2018, but breached one of his non-sexual conditions a month later.
In 2012, Thorne was released from custody to live in the Heritage neighbourhood, but was only briefly out of custody before he breached his conditions by not returning to his residence, and then turned himself in to police.
In 2013, he was again living in Regina when he breached his longterm offender supervision order by buying a bottle of alcohol and guzzling it an alley — police were keeping close tabs on him and watched him doing it before arresting him. In October 2013, Thorne was sentenced to five years in prison for that breach, with the sentencing judge noting that alcohol and drug consumption is often at the heart of Thorne’s offending.
In 2008, Thorne was the subject of a Canada-wide warrant when he failed to return to his residence. He was located and arrested a day later.
The police issued Friday’s advisory under the Saskatchewan Public Disclosure Act, and the information “is intended to enable members of the public to take suitable preventative measures, not to embark upon any form of vigilantism or other unreasonable conduct directed at this individual.”
Thorne is subject to a long-term supervision order, with conditions that include advising his parole supervisor of any change in residence or occupation and not possessing any weapons. He must also report all intimate relationships or changes to his parole supervisor, abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs and follow psychological and psychiatric counselling.
Thorne is prohibited from having contact with children under the age of 18 unless supervised by a responsible adult who has been pre-approved in writing, and he is not to be near locations where children can be expected to congregate, such as parks and playgrounds. He is also prohibited from purchasing, possessing or accessing pornography or sexually explicit material in any form or type of media.
Thorne is described as a fivefoot-nine Indigenous man weighing roughly 170 pounds. He has a medium build, brown eyes and black hair.
Any member of the public who has questions or concerns is encouraged to contact the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500. Any person who wishes to report an incident where Thorne is in violation of the aforementioned conditions, should call the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). Concerns or reports from persons living outside of Regina should be directed to the nearest detachment of the RCMP or local municipal police department.