Dear Editor
Under the headline, Serving Time, in Tuesday, June 12 issue of The Journal, readers learned that a convicted pedophile, David Garcia, has been released from prison and is now residing in Ashcroft.
Mr. Garcia is not the first pedophile who has taken up residence in Ashcroft. And he probably won’t be the last. But a small item tucked away in the Police Report section of our newspaper is certainly not a sufficient notice of the need to protect our children.
Mr. Garcia has a record. He was convicted and sentenced to 90 days in jail to be served intermittently. He will spend weekends in the jail at Ashcroft. He will be on probation for three years, but he was arrested in December of 2010, which means that in December of 2013, his probation period will end.
Ashcroft is a very small town. There are numerous events that take place, particularly in the summer, where our children gather.
We have no picture of Mr. Garcia, who is 41 years old. I have met Mr. Garcia by chance three years ago. He is a man of medium height, slim build, and has a fair complexion. He presents a non-threatening appearance. He is soft spoken and congenial in manner.
A lengthy news item in the Kamloops daily about Mr. Garcia was published last week. Parents should be warned about Mr. Garcia’s release and his residency here.
Esther Darlington MacDonald
Ashcroft
[Ed. Note: Mr. Garcia’s whereabouts and actions are being monitored by Ashcroft RCMP, who report that he is co-operative, abides by his curfew requirement and is at low risk to re-offend.]