B.C. court judge declares Halifax man convicted of sex crimes too dangerous for release as he nears eligibility for parole
Author: Canwest News Service
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NANAIMO - For the second time in a decade, a Halifax man convicted of violent sex-crimes has been declared a dangerous offender in a B.C. court.

Andrew Paul Johnson was initially tagged with the dangerous offender designation in 2001. But that status was lifted in 2005.

Johnson would have soon been eligible for parole for kidnapping an 18-year-old woman and attempting to kidnap two preteens in 1997. But in a decision released Monday, a B.C. judge again declared the man too dangerous to be released.

Police picked up Johnson in Nanaimo in 1997 after he tried to lure two 12-year-old girls into his car, claiming he was a police officer. When the police caught up to him, Johnson had a mildly handicapped 18-year-old woman locked into his back seat. Inside the car police found a meat cleaver, a mask, pornography, a fake police badge, packing tape and toy handcuffs.

A forensic psychiatrist said at Johnson's first dangerous offender hearing there was little doubt the woman would have been the victim of a violent sexual assault.

The decision released Monday relied on the testimony of two forensic psychiatrists. Both labelled Johnson a high risk to re-offend.
© The Vancouver Sun 2008

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