RCMP warn of high-risk sex offender living in Mission
Police are warning the public about a high-risk sex offender who was recently released from prison and is currently living in Mission, B.C.
Taylor Albert Dueck, 25, has a criminal history of sexual assault, including sexual assault on a person under the age of 16 and sexual assault using a weapon.
Mission RCMP issued the public interest warning under the Privacy Act of Canada as Dueck has been deemed a high risk to re-offend sexually and poses a risk to the safety of female children under the age of 18 years old.
Dueck is described as five feet 11 inches and about 130 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He is currently subject to court-ordered conditions which include:
- Not to possess or consume alcohol or controlled substance except as prescribed by a licensed physician.
- Subject to a daily curfew between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
- Not to possess any weapons.
Police are asking anyone who sees suspicious behaviour including a breach of the court conditions to contact the Mission RCMP Detachment at 604-826-7161.
additional coverage
Repeat sex offender Taylor Dueck denied bail after Kelowna incident
By Srushti Gangdev and Hana Mae Nassar
Posted March 15, 2024 9:05 am.
Last Updated March 15, 2024 10:13 am.
A provincial judge has denied a bail request for repeat sex offender Taylor Dueck.
The BC Prosecution Service says “a detention order was made” and Dueck, a convicted sex offender, will remain in custody for now, “until the file is concluded.”
“The next court appearance is on March 21, 2024, for an arraignment hearing,” the service said in an email Thursday.
Dueck is accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl at an equestrian centre in Kelowna last month. He was at the facility on a supervised visit, even though court-ordered conditions prohibit him from being around children.
He was taken into custody following the allegations of assault on Feb. 9 and is being held on charges of invitation to sexual touching, sexual interference, and breach of probation.
The incident has raised questions about why a supervisor allowed him to be there and sat in his car while the alleged incident took place. Concerns have also been raised about why the public wasn’t told Dueck would be living in the community.
In a statement to CityNews on March 6, the Kelowna RCMP said it applied to notify the public about Dueck living in the city but added the threshold for that kind of notification wasn’t met.
“While we understand the commentary surrounding this case, there are multiple factors in the decision-making process for a (Public Interest Disclosure). I can confirm that a PID was sought prior to his release in Kelowna, however, the threshold was not met in this case based on the totality of the circumstances,” the RCMP wrote.
Mounties deferred further questions about the matter to BC Corrections.
In the wake of the allegations against Dueck, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the circumstances would be investigated, adding his ministry has been directed to get “all public agencies, all federal agencies, and all officials involved to get to the bottom of exactly what happened, to find out whether it was a systemic failure, whether it was the failure of an individual.”
“Quite frankly, it should not have happened and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Farnworth said.
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According to Parole Board of Canada documents, Dueck was denied day parole and full parole in October 2022. However, he finished his sentenced in June 2023, after which point he was out on a supervision order, bound by conditions.
“Please be advised that the enclosed decision was made during the offender’s previous federal sentence, as completed on June 23, 2023,” the board said in a statement Tuesday.
“The risk assessment that was conducted in order to make this decision was based on the offender’s behaviour at that time. As this offender is not currently serving a federal term of imprisonment, he is no longer under the authority of the Parole Board of Canada.”
In February 2020, police in Abbotsford notified the public that Dueck was being released from prison and would be residing in the city. Days later, the Mission RCMP also issued a notice, saying he would be living in that community instead.
He committed crimes less than two months after he was released from prison.