A man with a history of sexual assaults involving children who allegedly re-offended in Kelowna will remain in custody after a decision by a judge in Kelowna court on March 14.
After spending multiple years in prison for sentences stemming from five separate convictions involving sexual assault, the accused Taylor Dueck, is alleged to have re-offended at a Kelowna equestrian facility on Feb. 9.
Dueck had been released from prison and living under the terms of his probation 14 months before the alleged incident. The terms of his probation and all details regarding the alleged incident are prohibited from publication under a court ordered ban.
At Dueck’s bail hearing, Judge Michelle Daneliuk ruled that to protect the community, Dueck’s request for bail is denied and he will remain in custody until trial.
Dueck was arrested shortly after the alleged incident on Feb. 9 and was charged with sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching in relation to a person under 16 years of age, as well as with breaching his probation order. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
On Feb. 29, the court ordered a technical suitability report to assist in determining if Dueck was eligible to be released on electronic monitoring.
On the day that the technical suitability report was issued, members of the public and politicians spoke out, expressing their frustration that Dueck had been living amongst the community, without a public warning being issued.
“This government neglected to notify the public that there was a dangerous pedophile like this in their presence,” said BC United Party leader Kevin Falcon at a press conference.
READ MORE: ‘Community traumatized’: Kelowna MLA outraged over release of sexual predator
According to Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Michael Gauthier, police had requested that a Public Interest Disclosure (PID) be issued prior to Dueck’s release, but it was denied.
Gauthier said the “threshold was not met in this case based on the totality of the circumstances,” and the RCMP’s request for a PID was denied.
In, 2020 after Dueck was released from prison, a PID was issued for the community of Abbotsford. Two months after his release, Dueck reoffended and was arrested.
Then, in 2022, Dueck was denied both full and day parole on the grounds that he was considered at “high risk to re-offend,” by the Parole Board.
Dueck will remain in custody and will return to court on March 21, to fix a date for trial.
