Ontario Giving Police More Tools to Monitor Registered Sex Offenders

Proposed enhancements to Christopher’s Law would help protect our most vulnerable people and keep communities safe

NEWS: The Ontario government will soon introduce amendments to Christopher’s Law, that, if passed, will strengthen Ontario’s Sex Offender Registry by giving police more tools to better monitor and supervise registered sex offenders. The government is also proposing changes that would prevent sex offenders from legally changing their names in Ontario so they can’t hide their identities.

“Decades ago, Ontario led the way with Canada’s first sex offender registry, and today we’re making it stronger,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “By introducing changes to make Christopher’s Law more effective, we’re giving police new tools to prevent, investigate, and solve egregious sex crimes to protect those most vulnerable, especially our children.”

The government is also proposing to amend the Change of Name Act which would prohibit sex offenders from changing their names while they have reporting obligations to the Ontario Sex Offender Registry. While there are safeguards currently in place, this proposed change would make it easier for police to monitor sex offenders and prevent them from using a new identity to commit new crimes.