High-risk sex offender released in Halifax area

A high-risk offenderwith a history of sex crimes involving children is now living in the Halifax area.

Harvey Joseph Venus, 38, has multiple criminal convictions, including sexual assault,assault causing bodily harm, assault,and sexual interference of a person under the age of 16.

Halifax Regional Police released the information in accordance with the province's information protocol around the release of high-risk offenders.

Venus is required to follow strict conditions, including:

• Not to be in the presence of any children under the age of 18 years.
• Not to be in, near, or around places where children under the age of 18 years are likely to congregate such as daycares, elementary and secondary schools, parks and playgrounds, swimming pools and recreational centres.
• Not to own, use or possess any technological device that would allow you access to the internet.
• Reporting all sexual and non-sexual relationships and friendships with women and any changes to the status of the relationships/friendships.
• Not to associate or communicate with any person known to be involved in criminal activity.
• Reside at a designated community-based residential facility.
• Not to consume, purchase or possess alcohol.
• Not to consume, purchase or possess drugs other than prescribed.

"HRP warns against anyone encouraging or undertaking any form of vigilante activity or other unreasonable conduct and intend to issue this notification as a public interest alert," police said in a news release.

Contactpolice

Ifanyone believes Venus is violating conditions of his release, police say to call them at902-490-5020.

In 2022, Venus was sent back to custody for breaching conditions of his supervision order in New Brunswick.

Prior to that, he had been releasedinto acommunity correctional centre in Saint John after finishinga four-year sentence at Dorchester Penitentiary for sexual interference involving a girl under the age of 16 in Nova Scotia.

Heinappropriately touched the victimandtook pictures of her, while reportedly using an alias due to his sexual offence history, according to parole documents.

A psychiatric assessment conducted for court in 2017 revealed Venus suffers fromdeviant sexual preferences for sexual contact with pubescent and/or prepubescent individuals and a fetishistic disorder, specifically towardfemale undergarments.