Jeffrey Goddard, a high-risk sex offender who has been living in Abbotsford, plans to move to Surrey, according to a notice from the Ministry of Justice.
On Thursday, the ministry stated in a release that Goddard, age 23, is a high-risk offender with a “versatile pattern of sexual offending,” who has plans to live in Surrey.
In January, the Abbotsford Police Department (APD) reported that Goddard had been released from prison and would reside in Abbotsford. A public notice was issued by the APD, alerting the public of the many conditions of his release, including that he not communicate with anyone under 18 years old, maintain any social networking sites or attend areas such as parks or schools.
Goddard had been sentenced on Jan. 24 to 180 days in jail for breaching his conditions, but after being given credit for the 168 days he had already spent in custody, he was left with 12 days.
By law, prisoners must be released after serving two-thirds of the time they have left upon sentencing, meaning Goddard had to serve eight of those 12 days.
Goddard has a history of posing over the phone and online – through Facebook and other social media – as people such as a police officer, a teenage girl and a TV producer to lure young teens, mostly boys.
He previously served a 20-month sentence for invitation to sexual touching, communicating via a computer to lure a child, impersonating a police officer, and two charges of breaching his bail conditions.
Goddard was released in February 2012, and the APD issued a public notice at that time. As part of his three-year probation, he was required to follow several conditions, including no contact with anyone under the age of 18, no use of any electronic device that can access the Internet, and not establishing or maintaining a social networking site.
Goddard’s most recent charges stem from his posing on Facebook last summer as a landscaper, hiring two teen boys to do yard work at his residence, and communicating online with a teen boy – or boys – in Florida and California.
The notice from the ministry states that Goddard is subject to close monitoring by authorities and there are 17 court-ordered conditions of his release, including that he not communicate with people under the age of 18, use social networking sites, or any electronic device capable or accessing the internet, and not possess a weapon.
The public is encourage to contact their local police agency if they see Goddard violating any of his conditions.
