The Ontario Sex Offender Registry (OSOR) was created as a result of the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Christopher Stephenson by a convicted sex offender on June 18, 1988. Following the Coroner’s inquest into Christopher’s death, it was recommended that the Solicitor General of Canada, in conjunction with the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General, police and other appropriate bodies, establish a registry for convicted, dangerous, high-risk sexual offenders, and require each offender to register with police in the jurisdiction where the offender will reside or is residing.
That was the idea, just like HTA172 was an idea to punish street racers, but the net catches all sorts of fish.
Who Must Register While in Ontario?
Any person who is resident in Ontario and has been:
- Convicted anywhere in Canada of a “sex offence” as defined in Christopher’s Law
- Found not criminally responsible (NCR) for a “sex offence” by reason of mental disorder and given an absolute or conditional discharge
- Made subject to an obligation to report under the federal Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the related Criminal Code provisions in relation to a secondary offence (e.g. murder)
- Made subject to a reporting obligation under the federal Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the related Criminal Code provisions (Form 54) in relation to a conviction for an offence outside of Canada that is determined to be equivalent to a sex offence in Canada
- Made subject to an obligation under section 36.1 of the International Transfer of Offenders Act (Form 1)
And from Christopher's Law itself:
“sex offence” means,
(a) an offence under section 151 (sexual interference), 152 (invitation to sexual touching), subsection 153 (1) (sexual exploitation), 155 (1) (incest), 160 (1), (2) or (3) (bestiality), 163.1 (2), (3) or (4) (child pornography), section 170 (parent or guardian procuring sexual activity), subsection 173 (2) (exposure), section 271 (sexual assault), subsection 272 (1) (sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a third party or causing bodily harm) or section 273 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Criminal Code (Canada),
So basically anyone.