A new tool to investigate and prevent sexual crimes against children was launched by the RCMP Thursday.
The High Risk Child Sex Offender Database is a national, publicly accessible tool.
The first of its kind in Canada, the database contains information about people who have been found guilty of a sexual offence against children and are considered a high risk to reoffend.
“Protecting children from sexual offences and exploitation is a responsibility we all share and is a priority for the RCMP,” said RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme.
Duheme said the database will provide Canadians with a tool to get informed and take appropriate precautions.
“It also helps the law enforcement community share information more seamlessly on offenders amongst themselves,” he said.
The database contains information previously released to the public by a police service or public authority. Only offenders deemed as a high risk to commit a crime of a sexual nature are included.
“The High-Risk Child Sex Offender Database will help to protect children and their communities from harm by providing law enforcement agencies with an additional tool to ensure appropriate monitoring of high-risk offenders as well as providing the public with verified information to support their personal safety,” said Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree.
“Children are amongst the most vulnerable members in our society, and our government is committed to keeping them safe.”
The RCMP will rely on provincial, territorial and municipal authorities to recommend the inclusion of individuals in the database.
The database isn’t affiliated with the National Sex Offender Registry. The registry is a national registration system for sex offenders convicted of designated sex offences and ordered by the courts to report to police annually. The registry is only accessible to law enforcement.
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