Pedophile killer admits to numerous new victims

Updated Thu. Aug. 19 2004 6:23 AM ET

Canadian Press

BOWDEN, Alta. -- A Manitoba pedophile who strangled a 13-year-old girl stunned his parole hearing Wednesday by admitting he committed other crimes police don't know about.

Robert Bliss Arthurson, 47, told the three-member panel at a medium-security federal prison that he is willing to deal with those offences now.

"I haven't discussed it with anybody until now," he said in response to a panel member's question about whether he'd committed other crimes.

"They can take care of that while I'm in here," mumbled the greying, mustachioed former resident of The Pas, Man.

"I will go to court on it. I have no problems doing that."

Arthurson is serving a life sentence for the 1994 abduction and slaying of Sarah Kelly, who left her home in The Pas for a walk before Sunday dinner. Her parents never saw her alive again.

Wednesday's hearing was to determine whether Arthurson should get parole after serving 10 years for Sarah's death.

The board denied him his freedom, telling Arthurson he still poses a risk to the community.

He estimated Wednesday he has had 15 or 16 victims, including some that police don't know about, but he did not specify how many nor did the board ask.

The hearing heard he has a criminal record of sexual assaults against children dating back to 1985, which includes a 1989 offence of procuring sexual favours from three 12-year-old girls.

A full list of his convictions was not released at the hearing.

Immediately following the parole hearing, Correctional Service of Canada officers interviewed Arthurson to determine how to handle his revelations, said Rita Wehrle, assistant warden of Bowden Institution in southern Alberta.

She said Arthurson, who has talked about other crimes to some degree in the past, declined to expand on his comments about more victims.

"The inmate was not willing to disclose anything to corroborate the statement that he made at the parole hearing," she said.

"He was unwilling to give any further information which makes it very difficult for us to go anywhere from there."

She said corrections officials have contacted the RCMP.

Sgt. Lyle Marianchuk, commander of the RCMP detachment in nearby Innisfail, Alta., said he has yet to review Arthurson's file and it is too early to say how police will handle the case.

Arthurson gave himself up to police in Sarah's case but refused to tell them where her body was until he brokered a deal.

Her strangled body was found a few days later next to a gravel road outside town. Criss-cross cut marks were found on her legs, but she had not been sexually assaulted.

Arthurson, who was a loner who had earlier called a crisis line to report that he fantasized about raping and killing a young girl, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

The burly former car dealership employee told the panel he is a pedophile who still has sexual fantasies about girls and might commit another sexual assault if released.

"It is still a possibility," he said. "Emotionally, I am not ready for it."

Throughout the hearing, he referred to his victims as young ladies. When he was questioned by a panel member about why he did not call them girls or children, he said he admitted he had difficulty admitting even to himself that he victimized children.

"I still don't want to think of myself like that," he said. "There's still a part of me that doesn't believe it."

Arthurson also apologized to Sarah's family, who came from as far away asToronto and New Brunswick to attend the hearing.

"If I could change that day now, I would. It's something I think about."

Arthurson said since his 20s, he has been obsessed with having sex with 12-year-old girls and thinks about it most of the time.<  

   The board also heard victim impact statements from Sarah's parents, sister and other relatives.

Mary Lynn Kelly, Sarah's mother, wept as she told the panel that she, her husband Roy and her daughter Nancy have often contemplated suicide since the slaying.

"Roy agreed with me. He could not live with the pain. It was so intense it hurt to breathe.

"This is a misery we will live with the rest of our lives."

Almost all of the 5,700 residents of The Pas, about 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, had signed a petition asking the board to keep Arthurson behind bars.

The inmate, who sat with his back to the family members at the hearing, blamed his attacks on feelings of inadequacy and rejection. He complained he was stuck washing cars with no chance for advancement.

"The more rejection I had, the more I felt the world was against me."

Arthurson wasn't allowed to read a prepared statement to the family. He used his final opportunity to accept full responsibility for the crime.

"I will be here for years and years and years and there's nothing I can do now except be the best person I can be in here."