A high-risk sex offender already under a long-term supervision order should be designated a dangerous offender, a Crown prosecutor told a Vancouver Provincial Court judge Oct. 3.
John Ambrose Seward was back in jail after allegedly failing to obey court conditions in December 2022.
Seward appeared before Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Reginald Harris. Prosecutor Elise McCormick told him the Crown wants to make a potential dangerous offender application in Seward’s case.
Seward appeared before Judge James Sutherland May 3, 2023 on a charge that he failed to comply with a long-term supervision order by failing to immediately report all females he associated with or attempted to associate with.
Seward is serving a 10-year long-term supervision order for convictions of sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and aggravated assault.
The charge information was sworn Dec. 15. Court documents indicate a first appearance before a court Dec. 17.
Seward remains in custody.
Seward warning and orders
The Vancouver Police Department issued a public warning about Seward in April 2021, saying he would be residing in Vancouver and “poses a significant risk to women in the community.”
Seward had multiple conditions for living in the community.
Those included:
• not consuming, purchasing or possessing alcohol;
• not consuming, purchasing or possessing drugs other than prescribed medication;
• not associating with any person believed to be involved in criminal activity or substance misuse;
• immediately reporting all contacts with females to his parole supervisor;
• not go to Central Vancouver Island (Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville);
• not be in, near, or around any park;
• must reside at a community correctional centre or a community residential facility or other residential facility.
Different offender types
A long-term supervision order starts when an offender has finished serving all sentences for offences for which they have been convicted. The supervision period must not total more than 10 years.
Such orders allow offenders to live on the community under supervision for up to 10 years once they have completed prison terms.
Judges make such orders so that offenders deemed to be a risk can be monitored.
The orders are the final step before an offender is labelled a dangerous offender because they have shown repeatedly they cannot restrain their brutal behaviour.
Someone designated a dangerous offender can be jailed indefinitely to protect the public.
The long-term offender designation targets sexual and violent offenders who, on the evidence, are likely to re-offend, B.C. Prosecution documents said.
