Judge in British Columbia: Man who sexually abused his stepdaughter does not receive shortened order

A judge in British Columbia has refused to lift a restraining order against a man who sexually abused his stepdaughter for over a year.

Steven Walsh asked the provincial court to amend its Section 161 order – the conditions a convicted offender must comply with – to reduce the length of his sentence from 20 years to five years, and to lift certain prohibitions on schools and other public areas where people under 16 are allowed to be, as well as on contact with people under 16.

Prosecutors denied the request, noting that it was premature and that Walsh should instead provide an updated risk assessment. They added that Walsh also did not provide information about where he was going and what he planned to do.

Walsh was convicted of sexual battery and production of child pornography on December 30, 2016. He received a seven-year prison sentence, with a suspended sentence of 20 years, effective upon his release from prison.

He had sexually abused his stepdaughter over a period of more than a year, from 2011 to 2012, when she was 10 and 11 years old.

The judge who sentenced Walsh at the time described his crimes as “depraved and despicable” and said the girl was suicidal after he “fundamentally breached parental trust”.

In 2019, Walsh unsuccessfully appealed the ruling. He also requested that his new partner become his supervisor, but this was rejected.

His sentence ended on December 28, 2023, and he was released on supervised community probation. Under supervision, he was allowed to work at a hockey arena from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. because no children were present at that time and he was able to swim in a private pool.

Following Walsh’s appeal, he was assessed as low risk by Correctional Services Canada and sent to a minimum security prison to serve his sentence. There, he was also told that he did not require formal programs and was “required to self-advocate for participation in formal sex offender programs.” Walsh provided documentation showing that he had completed all required programs and treatment.

In his June 17 ruling, Provincial Judge Raymond Phillips said it was up to Walsh to provide the court with sufficient evidence that circumstances had changed to justify a change in his disbarment.

Philips said Walsh, 55, “will likely be bound by the Section 161 order for the rest of his life, or at least until 2043.”

Philips said the only available measure was to maintain the order because Walsh “has committed repeated sexual violence over a long period of time.” The judge added that the order was intended to protect the children while he “makes his way through life and society over the 20-year period.”

He said the request to change the deadline was “excessive, premature and unjustified”.

However, Philips announced that the order would be slightly changed:

• Walsh is prohibited from visiting any public park, public swimming pool, schoolyard, playground, daycare center or community center where a girl under the age of 16

• Walsh is prohibited from having any contact, including communication, with girls under the age of 16 unless he does so under such supervision as the court deems appropriate.