Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 9, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press wednesday August 9, 2006 a3 top news paedophiles Saga shocks town grieving father stirred suspicion in Newfoundland by Mike Mcintyre s something just want right about the new Guy on the Block. He introduced himself to the Friendly Resi dents of Topsail Newfoundland on june 28 As Robert a grieving father of two Young boys whose wife had recently died of cancer. He moved into a Small apartment on Annie a drive a Cul de Sac brimming with Young families and kids. Two children lived upstairs from him. Robert said he was looking for a fresh Start and was hoping to land a Job and permanent residence on the East coast. He immediately began contributing to the neighbourhood. A Young boy about seven years old was upset that his dirt Bike want working. Robert jumped at the Chance to help out walking the boy a few blocks Down the Street to a nearby repair shop. He bought several neighbourhood kids Candy from the Corner store bringing smiles to their faces and handing it out to them in front of their parents. Robert helped Neighbour Brad Durnford a mar ried father of two Young children who works with the coast guard build a Small fishing Pond for the local Canada Day Block party. He claimed to have a $1.6-million property Back Home in . Robert left their Community almost As quickly As he entered flying out of St. Johns on july 5 after Only eight Days. He claimed one of his boys was sick Back Home in British Columbia and needed him. He promised to be Back ? bringing his two kids with him. He left his Rusty old car bearing . Plates behind telling a Young Neighbour she could drive it while he was away. He paid his rent through until the end of August. They did to hear from Robert again ? but the mystery came to a dramatic end last week when residents spotted his picture on the local newscast. Its him its him. Its Robert on the news. He a kidnapped some kids Durnford heard the shrieks from his Neighbour and turned on his computer to Check out a news website. He was speechless. Robert was actually notorious convicted paedophile Peter Whit More who was being sought in an intensive manhunt for the Kidnap we Are angry. Ping of two Young boys this is just awful. From Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Its a sign that Shock has now Given our Laws in Way to anger confusion Canada need and Hurt. Police have been collecting stories from the changing locals about Whitmore As stories about his Creepy ? Brad Durnford behaviour begin to emerge. Durnford told the free press yesterday he a spoken with other parents who began to wonder about Roberts motives. My wife was suspicious from the Start and after he gave out that Candy she said that a it. He a try ing too hard he said. Some of us were even mentioning the word Durnford did an internet search but came up empty after Only having the bogus name of Robert to go on. Ramp handout photo Peter Whitmore aroused some Neighbours suspicion during visit to Newfoundland town. He sure hit the Jackpot when he moved in Here. There Are so Many kids that in his eyes he must have been delighted. There Are always a dozen maybe 15 kids playing out there in the Cul de Sac at any Given time said Durnford. We Are angry. This is just awful. Its a sign that our Laws in Canada need changing. What happened out there in Saskatchewan could have easily happened to us police confirmed last week they Are investigating a sexual assault complaint against Whitmore Stem Ming from his Brief time in Newfoundland. Police will Only say it involves a boy under the age of 12. Residents of Topsail Are now wondering what Whitmore a plans were for their Community. The fact he left behind a car and rented apartment suite ? and claimed he would be returning with his two boys ? has led to speculation he might have been planning to bring the two kidnapping victims to Newfoundland. And Why did he leave so abruptly maybe with the sexual assault incident that a come up Here he got freaked out tried something that did to work out and had to leave said Durn Ford. But i believe he planned to come Whitmore had been seen by police on june 18 in Morinville Alberta where he had spent several Days visiting family. A peace Bond placing certain conditions on his movements and allowing him to be supervised by police had just expired but Whit More had agreed to appear in an Alberta courtroom on june 29 to renew the court order. He never showed up and it is now known that he had driven All the Way across the country to Newfoundland. A warrant was issued for Whitmore a arrest on july 14 for missing the court Date. He surfaced in Winnipeg on july 18 and was hired to work on a Highway construction project near heading Ley under the bogus name of Robert sum Mer. He befriended a fellow worker ? the Stepfather of the 14-year-old victim. Whitmore the Stepfather and the teen went to Brandon on july 22 to get some car repairs done. Whitmore allegedly sent the Stepfather Back to Winnipeg to retrieve some Money and was Given per Mission to keep the teen in his care. Whitmore allegedly took the teen to Saskatchewan where they were spotted numerous times Over the next week. Whitmore allegedly told several bogus stories including that the boy was his son his wife was in a nearby Small town and he was from Alberta and looking for a place to work and live. Whitmore and the teen then befriended the fam ily of the 10-year-old Saskatchewan boy eventually leading to the boy going for a Bike ride with the 14-year-old while Whitmore was supposedly out Job Hunting. Family members of the Young boy found two empty bikes near their Home hours later. The youngest boy was rescued 48 hours later after an Alert local citizen spotted Whitmore Shehi Cle parked at an abandoned farmhouse. A nine hour standoff began which ended with the 14-year-old boy being released and Whitmore surrendering peacefully. He has been charged with several crimes including kidnapping sexual assault causing bodily harm and forcible confinement. . For information reservations and brochure Call 7 Days a week. Notice by Grafton Fraser inc. & Glenn Stonehouse and britches Jack Fraser menswear George Richards big tall or. Big & Talland tip top tailors the Competition Bureau has informed Grafton Fraser that its Price advertising containing representations of regular prices or Market prices for certain of its menswear products have raised concerns under the Ordinary Price provisions of the Competition act. These provisions seek to ensure that when products Are promoted at Sale prices Consumers Are not misled by reference to inflated regular prices or unverified Market prices. The Bureau believes that Grafton Fraser a Ordinary Price representations misled Consumers and that certain menswear products were never offered for Sale or sold at these prices. In recognition of the bureaus concerns and the importance of providing accurate information to Consumers Grafton Fraser and the Bureau have filed a consent agreement with the Competition tribunal which addresses the bureaus concerns. The agreement will remain in effect for a period of 10 years. Pursuant to the agreement Grafton Fraser shall among other things ? pay a $1 million Dollar administrative monetary penalty and $200,000 dollars towards the Cost of the bureaus investigation ? ensure that All of its future savings claims and regular Selling Price representations comply with the misleading advertising provisions of the Competition act and ? develop and implement a corporate compliance program designed to ensure that Grafton Fraser complies with the Competition act. The consent agreement can be found on the Competition tribunals website at . For additional information consult the Competition bureaus website at . Whitmore May plead mental illness by Mike Mcintyre convicted paedophile Peter Whitmore believes he is suffering from a mental illness and May fight to be sent to a psychiatric hos Pital on the grounds he a not criminally responsible for his actions his lawyer told the free press yesterday. Whitmore 35, was arrested last week Fol lowing an intensive manhunt and charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Saskatchewan boy and a 14-year?old Manitoba boy. He has a Long history of convictions Span Ning a decade and is now accused of re offending Only weeks after a court ordered peace Bond was not renewed by police. We know that paedophilia is a sickness. Well you re not supposed to put sick people in jail or criminalize the mentally ill defence lawyer Dan Brodsky said from his Toronto office. If you accept As a premise that this Guy is sick in the head Why should the have a bet Ter Quality of life than a criminal in prison behind bars Whitmore faces possible Vio Lent backlash from other inmates and prisons Don to have the resources to treat the sexual deviancy that has landed his client in Legal difficulty Brodsky said. A Guy like Peter Whitmore in to very High on the totem pole. Most of the other inmates have families and Don to like people who have harmed other people and their families in a sexual Way he said. Brodsky said it is highly probable Whit More would remain in a mental health Facil Ity for the rest of his life and never be released. Why should the Public care if he a got prison bars on his windows or is in a Hospital if they know their child is protected from harm he said. People May think this would be a Nice easy ride for or. Whitmore. Well i Don to know of any paedophile who has been deemed not criminally responsible and released Back into during a standoff in a Saskatchewan farm House last week Whitmore Only agreed to surrender after a police officer and Crown promised to recommend he be spared a life sentence and not declared a dangerous offender ? a move that would guarantee he is released Back into society one Day. The Crown would be free to seek a lengthy prison term and a Long term offender designation that would put Whitmore under monitored supervision for 10 years after his eventual release from custody. In Exchange Whitmore agreed to immediately plead guilty to the charges and spare both victims from possibly having to testify at a preliminary hearing and eventual trial. ;