High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Now Publicly Available: RCMP

A woman types on a laptop on a file photo. The Canadian Press/AP, Jenny Kane

Canada’s national high risk child sex offender database is now live and publicly available, the RCMP says.

The RCMP announced the launch of the database on Jan. 15. The website contains information on individuals who have been convicted of a sexual offence against children, and are considered to be at high risk of re-offending.

RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said that protecting children from sexual offences and exploitation is a priority for the Mounties.

“The importance of centralizing public notifications of high-risk child sex offenders is two-fold: it now provides Canadians with a tool to get informed and take appropriate precautions and, it also helps the law enforcement community share information more seamlessly on offenders amongst themselves,” he said in a release.

The RCMP worked with Public Safety and the provinces and territories to create the database, the commissioner said.

Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree said the database would help protect children and communities, acting as an “additional tool” for law enforcement.

The database contains information that has already been made public by police or a public authority, the RCMP noted, adding it only contains information on those who are at high risk of re-offending.

The database is the result of legislation that was brought into force on Dec. 31, 2024, the High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Act, which required the RCMP commissioner to establish a publicly accessible database of people convicted of sexual offences against children and who pose a high risk of committing crimes of a sexual nature.

The RCMP said it was the responsibility of provinces and territories to identify and submit offenders to be included in the database.

The database is separate from the national sex offender registry, RCMP said, noting the registry is a national registration system for those convicted of specific sexual offences and ordered by the courts to report to police. The registry is only accessible to law enforcement and falls under the Sex Offender Information Registry Act.

The RCMP said if anyone wants to report an incident that involves an individual in the database that has violated their conditions, they must contact their local law enforcement agency.

The database will be administered by the RCMP and used to help investigate and prevent crimes against children, the RCMP said.

The database contains a warning that criminal charges could be laid against anyone found “misusing the information in this database to injure, harass or commit other offences against anyone listed.”

Ontario Database

The national database comes two months after Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his government would aim to make some information on the provincial sex offender registry public.

Ford made the comments following a controversial decision by the Supreme Court of Canada that ruled that one-year mandatory minimum jail sentences for those accessing or found in possession of child pornography violates Charter rights.

Ford called on the federal government to use the notwithstanding clause to overturn the court’s decision, saying those convicted are “predators” that should be behind bars.

An Ontario government proposal to consult on possible legislative, regulatory, or operational changes to the national sex offender registry discusses the possibility of making some information public, but does not contain specific details.

The document notes that the Supreme Court decision “weakens” protections for children, saying the Ontario government wants to put its own measures in place to protect families.

Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the Liberal government would not be using the notwithstanding clause to override the Supreme Court decision.

Fraser said there were “other solutions” to protect children, adding it could include policy choices.

Ontario recently made changes to its provincial sex offenders database, including prohibiting offenders to change their name, setting a specific time they need to report to police after being given a conditional sentence, and reporting to police after receiving a driver’s licence or passport. Offenders must also provide 14 days advanced notice if they are planning a trip longer than seven days, and will still be required to provide advanced notice if they are out of Canada for any length of time.

Additionally, offenders are required to disclose email addresses, social media usernames, and other digital information to authorities, and to notify police of any changes to the accounts.

The changes come under Christopher’s Law, which was named after an 11-year-old Ontario boy who was kidnapped and killed by a convicted pedophile in 1988.

SCC Mandatory Registration Decision

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled against mandatory listing of offenders on the national registry who had more than one conviction in a 2022 ruling. The court also said that keeping offenders on the register for life violates the Constitution.

The case concerned the conviction of  Eugene Ndhlovu, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two women in 2011. Under the amendments made to the national sex offender register in 2011, Ndhlovu’s name would have been permanently on the list.

A trial judge found the Crown had not demonstrated that mandatory listing helped police with sexual assault investigations. Justice Andrea Moen said that the benefits to the public for Ndhlovu’s name to be on the list permanently did not justify the impact on him.

The Alberta Court of Appeal overturned that decision, but it was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The court wrote that the impact of an offender’s “liberty” if they are listed on the registry for life would be “serious.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this article.