Convicted of child sex crimes in Cambodia, wanted in Thailand
Last Updated: Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Canadian Press
A man convicted of sex crimes against children in Cambodia has unrestricted freedom in Canada, even though the Crown expressed concerns he was a danger to children.
While a judge granted a restraining order against Orville Mader meant to protect children back in 2007, that order has been allowed to lapse.
Mader — who was charged in absentia in Asia and has not been charged with offences in Canada — faces a 15-year jail term in Cambodia after he was convicted for sex crimes against children in 2004.
He was also accused of sex crimes against a 13-year-old boy in Thailand in 2007, but travelled back to Canada shortly after the charges were laid.
When he arrived in Vancouver in late 2007 carrying nothing but his laptop computer, he was arrested and held.
Order not renewed
At the time, the Crown said investigators were working on sex-tourism charges against Mader. In the meantime, a judge granted an order under the Criminal Code after prosecutor Wendy van Tongeren Harvey argued there were concerns he was a danger to children.
Among his many restrictions, Mader was ordered to stay away from children and anywhere they might congregate, to stay off the internet, to give up his passport, and to report on a regular basis to the authorities near where he was staying in Surrey, B.C.
While the order was renewed against him annually in 2008 and 2009, it wasn't renewed in November 2010.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Ed Boettcher said police did a lot of work on the Mader file both in Canada and internationally.
"There came a time in 2009 where investigators met with Crown and said this is what we've compiled, Crown looked at it and said it doesn't meet the standards of Canadian evidence."
He said satisfying the evidence threshold would have taken a massive effort.
Allegations denied
Neil MacKenzie, a spokesman for the B.C. Crown prosecutor's office, said his office wasn't involved in the decision not to reapply for the restrictions on Mader.
He said Mader fully complied and co-operated with Corrections B.C. while under the peace bond restrictions.
"In view of the circumstances of his time under supervision, Corrections did not believe there was an adequate basis to seek renewal of the peace bond. That would have been a decision made by Corrections."
None of the allegations against Mader have been proven in a Canadian court. He has denied the allegations involving the young boy and the claim that he fled Thailand.
Boettcher said officers watched Mader in B.C.'s Lower Mainland while he was under restrictions.
He said Mader last checked in with officials in Surrey as required at the end of his term in late 2010, but he's not sure if Mader still lives in the area.
He couldn't say if Mader's passport was returned and an official with Passport Canada could not give any information in connection to Mader because of privacy concerns.
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