Blair Evans - Repeat Sex Offender - 1999, 2002, 2005 - 2009

"How do you change someone who has a sexual interest in children?"

A convicted pedophile and chronic voyeur is back in court today, once again on a child porn rap.

Blair Evans, 59, was allegedly found in North York Central Library on Yonge St., north of Sheppard Ave., using a computer and in possession of a USB storage device yesterday, Toronto Police Det. Paul Krawczyk said today.

"We're not alleging that he was downloading child pornography at this time," Krawczyk said.

But such allegations meant a breach of probation charge for going against conditions from his last conviction, and a search of his Bathurst St. and Sheppard Ave. W. area home.

There, investigators allegedly found images of child sexual abuse, in all accounting for five counts of fail to comply with probation and two counts of possession of child pornography.

Evans, who has been diagnosed as a pedophile with sadistic overtones, was first convicted in 1999 after he was arrested in 1996 at his desk at the Department of National Defence in Ottawa. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight months of incarceration and three years of probation.

That cost him his job.

In 2002, the father of two who worked as a consultant with a private Toronto firm was again charged – and later convicted – after police seized about 200,000 pornographic images, including one of a baby being raped, from his home computer.

His third conviction came in 2005. He had pleaded guilty to charges of failing to follow conditions of release and accessing and possessing child porn after police found him using computers in a university library and at a cyber cafe, downloading images into a portable storage device. When cops raided his home, they found around 1,000 images on a thumb drive.

"These images were horrific in nature and typically involving children between the ages of 2 and 8 years old involved in violent sex acts," Det.-Sgt. Paul Gillespie said at the time.

"This is the first time we've dealt with a third-time offender," Crown attorney Mary Humphrey said at the time. "It is not a victimless crime and repeat offenders will be punished."

Justice Richard Schneider ordered him jailed for another 13 months on each count, to be served concurrently.

The sentence, which included credit for time awaiting trial, amounted to the equivalent of nearly four years in jail, a historically high sentence for possession charges.

"It's significant," Krawczyk said of the collection police allegedly found at Evans' home yesterday. "I wouldn't say it's huge at this point but we still have the electronic evidence to go through."

"How do you change someone who has a sexual interest in children?" Krawczyk said, speaking generally about repeat child porn offenders. "I'm not a doctor, but how does that person change?"

"This type of offence crosses all socio-economic levels. It could be your neighbour. It could be the homeless person on the corner," Krawczyk said. "We've arrested millionaires."

Anyone with information about this latest case is asked to contact police at 416-808-7467 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477, 222tips.com, or by texting TOR and your message to 274637.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte