Abbotsford grannies 'furious' pedophile released into city
Police issue warning that 43-year-old Chase man presents risk
Glenda Luymes, The Province
Published: Friday, November 24, 2006

A pedophile who terrorized central Alberta in the late 1980s will be living in Abbotsford after his release from prison today.

William Ronaldson recently completed a 10-year prison term for sexually assaulting three girls between the ages of six and 12.

Yesterday, Abbotsford police warned the city about the 43-year-old Chase man, saying they believe he "represent[s] a high risk to members of this community."

Justice activist Gertie Pool was upset to hear about the pedophile's release.

"Not another one," she said. "I think about this, and I get afraid. If we are a caring society, can't we protect our little ones better than this?"

Pool said Abbotsford sees a higher number of convicts moving into the community because of the prisons nearby. She has started a group called the Furious Grandmas to lobby the government for changes to the legal system.

"Something needs to be done," she said. "We want these people off the streets for good. They have an illness. They cannot be allowed to return to our communities."

Ronaldson's criminal history includes a number of sexual offences.

In two cases, he abducted young girls from public places, drove to an isolated area and sexually assaulted them. He then returned them to where he had picked them up.

The assaults, which happened over the course of three months in 1989, caused parents and children in Red Deer, Alta., to agree on passwords when friends picked them up at school.

Ronaldson was arrested in Chase in 1994, after police linked a blood sample taken from him to his victims. He originally pleaded not guilty to five counts of sexual assault, but changed his plea when a judge allowed the use of DNA evidence in his trial. Two charges were stayed.

Abbotsford police have asked the public to contact them if they see Ronaldson violating the conditions of his release.

Ronaldson is not allowed to go within 300 metres of any park, playground, school, library or residence where children under 14 might be present. He is also not allowed to have communication with any children under 14.

In addition, Ronaldson cannot possess any weapons. He cannot drink or possess alcohol or drugs or enter a place where alcohol is the primary commodity for sale.

gluymes@png.canwest.com