Release of Byron Harpold, sex offender with lengthy history, prompts Edmonton police warning

A sex offender with a lengthy criminal history involving child pornography and indecent acts is being released from custody in Edmonton, prompting police to issue a warning.

The Edmonton Police Service said Byron Douglas Harpold, 60, is a convicted sex offender and EPS has reasonable grounds to believe he will commit another sexual offence against someone while in the community.

Harpold will be living in Edmonton after he is released from jail, police said on Tuesday. He is currently subject to a court order, with conditions, and will be managed by the EPS Behavioural Assessment Unit.

The specialized unit deals only with high-risk, violent sexual offenders and high-risk violent offenders who are released to the Edmonton area.

At any given time, the BAU’s team is tasked with supervising dozens of high-risk offenders, keeping tabs on them and also trying to help the offenders adjust to life outside of prison.

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Edmonton police said given Harpold’s criminal history with child porn and indecent acts such as masturbating in public, his potential victim pool is “diverse, widespread, and unpredictable.”

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Court documents indicate he has family in Saskatchewan but has sought employment in Alberta’s construction industry.

Harpold is five-feet-10-inches tall and just over 200 pounds. He has blue eyes and short, grey hair on a balding head.+

Police said Harpold will be wearing an ankle monitor and has been placed on a series of court-ordered conditions including:

• Not allowed to be within 100 meters of a public park, public swimming area, daycare, school ground, playground, recreational centre, community centre, youth shelter, public library, or any other area where persons under the age of 16 are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, unless he has received written approval from his Supervisor or designate.
• Must live at a home approved by his supervisor and must not change that address until he has received written approval from his supervisor
• Follow a daily curfew of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless a different time is approved in writing by his supervisor
• Can’t travel outside Edmonton without written permission
• Can’t consume or possess alcohol or other intoxicating substances

Police stressed that sharing his release is meant just to allow people to be aware and take suitable precautionary measures.

“Releasing this information is NOT intended to encourage people to engage in any form of vigilante action,” the news release said.

Anyone with any information about any potential breaches of these conditions by Harpold can contact the EPS at 780-423-4567.

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