The CBC has published and hastily deleted a video featuring a convicted child sex offender touching, picking up, and playing with young children.
Adriaan Debakker, a Calgary resident known for dressing as Michael Myers from the Halloween films, was portrayed as a community builder and icon by the state broadcaster. The feature showed him interacting with children, which sparked significant concerns among viewers.
Following viewer outrage, the state broadcaster removed the video from their channels and expunged all mentions of the name “Adriaan Debakker” from their online presence, despite awareness of his criminal history. To date, they have not issued an apology for this grievous journalistic oversight.
Debakker, 29, has been a prominent figure along International Avenue and neighboring areas, often capturing attention in his Michael Myers attire. While CBC’s coverage celebrated his role as a community builder, further investigations have revealed a darker history.
In 2017, at the age of 23, Debakker was sentenced to 36 months after being convicted of sexually contacting two girls under the age of 16. These offenses occurred in the Calgary area between August 2015 and February 2016. Taking into account the 26 months he had already served, his sentence was effectively reduced to 10 months. He was also issued a firearm prohibition.
Recently, the Calgary Police Service arrested Debakker for failing to declare his status as a registered sex offender—a condition of his release. While he secured release due to financial obligations, he is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 24.
The CBC’s portrayal of Debakker, without mentioning his criminal background, has sounded alarms.
When Global News reached out to Debakker for his perspective on the matter, he stated, “None of that is true. No one knew the full story. I did not do what they said I did.”
