Convict allowed to study in Waterloo Region

Brock Golden, a convicted child pornographer,
has been granted permission
from the Manitoba Court of Appeals
to continue his education in the
Kitchener-Waterloo area while released
on bail.

Availability of information

Courts of Appeal, who cannot give his
identity because of a publication ban
on the case, Golden was released on
$20,000 cash bail to allow him to attend
college or university in the region,
provided he maintains the conditions
of his bail.

Both the University of Waterloo and
Wilfrid Laurier have publically confirmed
that they do not have a student
by the name of Brock Golden registered
to attend school. Conestoga College
would not release whether they
did or not.

“Because someone has a criminal
record, that doesn’t prohibit them
from applying to a publically funded
university,” commented Kevin Crowley,
director of news and editorial services
at Laurier.

School safety a priority

Crowley added that safety of students
is first and foremost.
“Anyone, whether they have a criminal
record or not, who poses a threat
to the Laurier community we would
take very seriously and we would take
whatever measures we would need
to keep [the community] safe,” said
Crowley.

Ken Lavigne, associate registrar at
the University of Waterloo, noted that
when someone applies to university,
the information requested of them
is related mostly to their academic
qualifications.

“In all cases where someone has
applied who does have a criminal record,
or a pattern of behaviour that
might be a concern, we wouldn’t routinely
know that,” said Lavigne.

He added that if such information
comes to their attention, the university
undertakes due diligence to determine
whether that person would pose
a danger to the university community.

“We would determine whether they
were a risk and decide whether we
wanted that person at Waterloo,” said
Lavigne.

Students still discomforted

Second-year radio broadcasting student
at Conestoga College and Laurier
alumnus, Care Lucas, voiced concern
about attending classes with someone
convicted of such crimes.

“I’d be pretty scared,” she admitted.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable as a
student knowing he was here.”

She added that she hoped if such
a person was attending the school,
students would be made aware of the
situation, as it would not be fair to the
rest of the student body.

Golden was given a 30-month sentence
after being convicted of internet
luring and making child pornography.

Over 200 pornographic pictures
were recovered from Golden’s laptop.

He asked the Manitoba Court of Appeal
to reduce his sentence.