A convicted sex offender Vancouver police warned was a danger to women returned to court Oct. 11 on 2023 charges of sexual assault and observing or recording someone while they had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Frank William Skani, 36, pleaded guilty to the charges stemming from Feb. 8, 2023 incidents. The pleas were made on March 22, according to court documents.
Now, prosecutor Deven Singhal has told Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Harbans Dillon, the Crown will be making an application for a dangerous offender designation or a long-term supervision order.
A long-term supervision order starts when an offender has finished serving all sentences for offences for which they have been convicted. The supervision period must not total more than 10 years and allows the offender to live in the community. Judges make such orders so offenders deemed a risk can be monitored.
Meanwhile, someone designated a dangerous offender can be jailed indefinitely to protect the public. The long-term offender designation targets sexual and violent offenders who, on the evidence, are likely to re-offend, BC Prosecution Service documents said.
It was in June 2020 that the Vancouver Police Department said the Correctional Service of Canada had deemed Skani to be of high risk for sexual recidivism.
At the time, police said Skani was a federal offender serving a 10-year-long term supervision order for offences, including sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault, forcible confinement, break and enter, possession of property obtained by crime, and credit card theft.
There is no allegation of a new, long-term supervision order breach in the court's online system.
The case returns to court on Oct. 15.
Skani has been in custody since his first court appearance on Feb. 15, 2023.
