Months after a Global News investigation exposed gaps in Ontario’s probation system, a high-risk sexual offender may be breaking his probation conditions.
The investigation, published in May 2017, exposed shortcomings in the province’s probation system and limitations faced by probation officers.
READ PART 1: Ontario’s probation system ‘a joke,’ say offenders
READ PART 2: 4,500 outstanding warrants for alleged probation and conditional sentence violations in Ontario
Kyle McLauchlan was featured in the investigation. He was convicted of child luring in 2013 and sentenced to 18 months in jail, three years of probation, and 20 years on the sex offender registry.
The terms of McLauchlan’s probation stated he could not interact with persons under 18 or use a computer except with approval of his probation officer or for “employment related purposes.”
McLauchlan was convicted again in 2016 while on probation; this time for child luring, as well as attempting to make child pornography and failing to comply with the conditions of his probation. The sentence then: six months in prison after time served and another three years of probation with similar conditions to those of his first conviction.
WATCH: In part two, Carolyn Jarvis has the fallout of a system that lets some criminals monitor themselves.
McLauchlan may once again be breaking the conditions of his probation.
This time an individual using the name “Kyle Mann,” believed to be an alias used by Kyle McLauchlan, told women he was a photographer and could get them modelling jobs. But first, they said he insisted they send him photos, including nude shots.
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Three women – and one teenage girl – told Global News they communicated with Kyle Mann online and via text message. However, sometimes he would appear to be using a different name, including “Kevin,” or “Kev.”
Kaitlyn Benedict, a 29-year-old model who said she met the man for a shoot, confirmed to Global News the man she knew as Kyle Mann matches a photo of Kyle McLauchlan.
Mann told them he worked with a modelling agency and ran a company called Kottage Kountry Photography.
The teenage girl, who Global News has agreed not to identify, said she was in touch with a man identifying himself as Kyle. She told him she was 15. He continued to contact her.
A screenshot of messages sent on Instagram between Kyle McLauchlan and a 15-year-old girl.
Screenshot/Global News
Benedict said Mann offered to pay her $100 to $500 an hour to model. Lexi Smith, another model, was promised $500 a shoot.
“He was also telling us there would be perks, all of the clothing would be bought for us and basically like – crazy perks – so anyone’s going to jump right on that,” said Smith, 27.
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Smith and Benedict said Mann asked both of them for photos.
“He wanted underwear shots, dress shots, whatever shots and then he started pushing towards nude shots,” said Benedict.
“I sent him a few and then at some point it progressed and he just wouldn’t stop asking for them.”
Smith sent Mann the photos he requested. But she refused to meet him in person after he said she couldn’t bring anybody with her.
A screenshot of text messages sent between Kyle McLauchlan and Lexi Smith.
Screenshot/Global News
Benedict said she did meet McLauchlan for a photo shoot. She said he used a cell phone camera to take photos, rather than a professional camera.
Benedict said the encounter freaked her out.
“He wanted to have sex with me. He kept trying to ask me for kisses.”
WATCH: Two women contacted by Kyle Mann, a suspected alias for a sexual offender on probation, Kyle McLauchlan, describe their encounter with him.
The women contacted each other online and began looking into Mann, who they believe is an alias for Kyle McLauchlan.
In some of the cases examined by Global News, first contact came from a social media account under the name Joni-Lynn Mommabear Porter, or Jonilynn Lawrence. The messages indicated the person was working with ‘Kev’ or ‘Kyle.’’
A screenshot of messages between a Facebook account with the name Joni-lynn Mommabear Porter and model Lexi Smith.
Screenshot/Global News
Joni-Lynn Porter lives with McLauchlan in Bracebridge, Ont., and sources say the two are involved in a romantic relationship.
A message from her account would put the women in touch with Mann, using one of his aliases.
Porter responded to a phone message asking whether she used social media to contact models for McLauchlan, saying via text message that her Facebook account was hacked, and that McLauchlan has no access to computers or the internet.
Jarvis also approached Porter for comment in person. She denied helping McLauchlan contact women online, but did confirm she knows he is a convicted sex offender.
WATCH: Scott McIntyre, probation and parole representative for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, tells Global News’ Carolyn Jarvis that offenders are sometimes asked to self-report violations of their probation conditions.
OPP are currently investigating McLauchlan.
Global News’ Chief Investigative Correspondent Carolyn Jarvis tried to speak to McLauchlan outside the home he shares with Porter.
McLauchlan didn’t answer questions about concerns he approached the women online. He didn’t answer a question about whether he was aware one of the women was under 16 years old.
All McLauchlan said was “no comment.”
WATCH: Global News’ Carolyn Jarvis asks Kyle McLauchlan about whether he is using the internet to contact models, which may be a breach of his probation conditions.
McLauchlan is just one of more than 3,000 sex offenders on probation living in Ontario.
In an interview on May 8, 2017, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Marie-France Lalonde was surprised by revelations brought forward by Global News that probation officers do not do home visits on offenders consistently across the province.
“I’ve never heard that we don’t do home visits, to be frank,” Lalonde said.
But she committed to ‘follow-up’ on the matter.
WATCH: Carolyn Jarvis sits down with the minister in charge to get her reaction and discuss possible solutions.
When contacted this week, the Minister’s office said home visits do happen, even though some frontline probation officers report otherwise.
As of 2016, there were 43,000 offenders living in communities across Ontario. At the same time, there were 824 case-carrying probation and parole officers.
New legislation from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is expected this spring. There is no word on whether it will impact the probation system.
With files from Leslie Young.
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