Day parole has been denied to a serial pedophile convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting two young Edmonton girls.
Danial Gratton, who is 55, pleaded guilty to separately abducting and sexually assaulting the girls within days of each other in October 2008.
In one instance, he lured a girl from a playground into his vehicle by promising her ice cream and kittens.
Gratton was given dangerous offender status in 2011 and handed an indefinite prison sentence after a judge called his crimes against children beastly.
He was declared a long-term offender in 2002 after serving four years for molesting six children.
The Parole Board of Canada says Gratton would present an undue risk to society if he were to be released on day or full parole.
The two Edmonton girls were 7 and 10 when they were abducted. The board wrote in its Sept. 18 decision that one of them was drugged with prescription medication after she was assaulted.
The decision said that despite completing “high intensity” sex offender programs, Gratton was not able to stop his sexual compulsions that are fuelled, in part, by financial and relationship stress.
“As noted in file reports, you describe yourself as ‘sexually greedy,’ and have stated that you do not care who you hurt,” the board wrote.
The parole board did note that Gratton has been compliant with his correction plan and has shown “appropriate behaviour,” such as seeking support and connecting with religion.
A psychological assessment done this past July credited him for increased empathy, but concluded his risk for reoffending was not manageable on a day or full-parole release.
“In community settings, you had demonstrated that you are unable to control your impulses involving children and sexual behaviour, and, have conceded so in file information,” said the board. (CTV Edmonton)
The Canadian Press
