Parole status of former Summerland lifeguard guilty of sex crimes involving children moving along

Photo: RCMP

Edward Casavant, aka Eddie Spaghetti, convicted pedophile.

Warning: The contents of this story may be disturbing to some readers.

A former Summerland lifeguard guilty of a slew of child sexual abuse material and sexual assault crimes involving children has been granted leave to continue his day parole until his statutory release date.

Known locally as "Eddie Spaghetti," Edward Casavant, 58, was sentenced a little over three years ago for a string of offences, including using a spy camera in the aquatic centre changing room to record underage boys, and filming sexual abuse of an eight-year old boy with autism who was in his care.

Casavant was first granted day parole in September 2022.

According to a Parole Board of Canada decision dated March 10, 2023, Casavant will keep those privileges, based on his behaviour under those day parole terms.

"You spend time with appropriate role models, lean on your case management team for guidance, and take your special conditions seriously. You present as a person accountable and responsible for your behaviours. You are developing healthy relationships with adults through professional supports and contacts in the community," reads the latest board decision.

Special conditions imposed include no contact with children, not to seek or obtain employment or volunteer work where he would be in a position of trust or authority over a person under the age of 16, not to be near children areas, follow psychological counselling, pornography restriction, internet restriction, follow a treatment plan and to have no contact with any of his victims.

The board also voted to impose a residency requirement upon his statutory release, to live at a designated community-based residential facility or psychiatric facility approved by the Correctional Service of Canada.

"In light of your assessed risk, the concerns associated to your pedophilia, and the need for a highly structured, supervised and monitored release, it is apparent you require a structured, supervised living arrangement to provide you with the monitoring and support you require to facilitate your return to the community and mitigate your risk," reads the decision.

"As a result, the board finds there are no adequate alternatives to residency that will appropriately manage your risk to reoffend."

According to the Government of British Columbia, most federal offenders are automatically released on statutory release after serving two-thirds of their sentence to serve the last one-third of their sentence in the community, regardless of whether they had previously applied for or been granted parole.

The Correctional Service of Canada is entrusted by the parole board to "determine how and when the board-authorized leave privileges" are implemented.

"Such privileges will allow you to maintain contact and strengthen relationships with important sources of support that can assist with your reintegration efforts," the board wrote, addressing Casavant.

Casavant was employed as a lifeguard at the Summerland Aquatic Centre from 1986 to 2018, only quitting once a police investigation began.

A Staples employee transferring files from Casavant's old computer found a folder titled "Fun with Boys" with thumbnails of what looked like child sexual abuse material, and alerted RCMP.

In all, 275 unique downloaded child sexual abuse videos involving infants up to young boys aged 12 years old were found on Casavant’s computers, some of which he filmed himself.

“It is difficult to accurately express the horror or depravity of these offences without viewing the videos,” Judge Monica McParland said in Penticton court during sentencing in 2020.

Casavant continues to collect his municipal pension. He is not serving his day parole in Summerland, and the location has been protected by a publication ban.