An Abbotsford man who was previously jailed for luring young people over the Internet was arrested Thursday afternoon for breaching his probation.
Jeffrey Allan Goodard, 22, was charged Friday with four counts of breach, and remains in custody. His next appearance in Abbotsford provincial court is Aug. 16.
Goddard was the subject of an Abbotsford Police public notification in February, following his statutory release from prison after having served two-thirds of a 20-month sentence.
He had pleaded guilty to invitation to sexual touching, communicating via a computer to lure a child, impersonating a police officer, and two breach charges.
The charges covered a period from January to October 2010, and related to Goddard contacting eight youths — ages 12 to 16 – over Facebook and on the phone.
He had posed online as a police officer who was offering rides in a patrol car, a teenage girl and a TV producer.
One of the boys he befriended stayed with Goddard for two weeks, during which time Goddard crawled into bed with him at night and, on one occasion, suggested the two take a shower together.
The court-ordered conditions of his release from prison included that he have no contact with anyone under the age of 18, not use any electronic device that can access the Internet, and not establish or maintain any social networking website.
Const. Ian MacDonald said the Abbotsford Police Department was contacted in mid-July by a citizen who believed Goddard was again posting online and posing as someone else.
MacDonald said he could not provide specifics, but Goddard was apparently “purporting to be someone of greater importance who could offer financial advantage to young men.”
It is alleged that Goddard contacted “more than one” youth online and met with them in person.
MacDonald said a search warrant of Goddard’s residence turned up electronics that were capable of connecting to the Internet.
He said police are sometimes criticized when they notify the public that a criminal is being released from prison, but public safety is a priority.
“If it weren’t for that level of notoriety and publicity, I don’t know whether this (Goddard’s recent alleged conduct) would have come to our attention as quickly as it did.”
