Repeat sexual offender can be treated: psychologist

5-9-2008 Canada:

Over the course of his adult life, John David Lashbrook has sexually abused at least seven children under the age of nine.

When corrections officials were forced to release him from the Regional Psychiatric Centre in 1996, Saskatoon police issued a warning about his presence in the city.

Less than a month later, he sexually assaulted a 22-year-old woman who lived in his Main Street apartment block. He got a suspended sentence for the crime and was ordered to take a relapse prevention program.

He was charged with two more sexual assaults in 2000, but the Crown entered a stay of proceedings.

In 2006, he attacked another local woman -- a crime for which he is still in custody.

All of that past history does not necessarily mean he needs to be locked behind bars indefinitely for the protection of the community, an expert psychologist testified Thursday during Lashbrook's dangerous offender hearing.

He's 50 years old now, and statistics show sex offenders have a very low rate of reoffending after the age of 45,

Dr. Terry Nicholaichuk told provincial court, noting Lashbrook's last offence against a child was in 1992.

Sex offenders who target adults rather than children tend to have a lower risk of reoffending, according to the data, he said.

Another factor that speaks in his favour is that Lashbrook has "no real history of violence," since his attacks didn't cause physical damage to the victims, Nicholaichuk added.

"He doesn't beat people up."

Nicholaichuk, who was called to the stand in Lashbrook's defence, is the second psychologist to testify at the hearing, which will determine whether Lashbrook can be incarcerated for an indefinite period of time. His 1996 release was mandated by law because the sentence he was serving had expired, even though he was considered a high risk to reoffend.

A psychologist who testified for the Crown when the hearing began last month described Lashbrook -- whose level of intelligence has been rated below average -- as a "classic pedophile" who had opportunistically taken advantage of vulnerable adult women.

Nicholaichuk, who worked with Lashbrook during his past stay at the Regional Psychiatric Centre, described him as a low risk and said he may be just as vulnerable as his victims.

"The fact that John has been in the community for a number of years suggests that he is stable enough to be treated there," he said.

Lashbrook's dangerous offender hearing is scheduled to wrap up with closing arguments May 29. He remains in custody. ..more.. by Lori Coolican, The StarPhoenix