A former Vancouver Coastal Health nurse who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography has received a 12-month conditional sentence and three years' probation.
According to an October 2021 court information, Derek Paul Roelofsen, 45, had been charged with possession of child pornography; making, printing, publishing or possessing of child pornography for the purpose of publication; and possessing child pornography for transmitting, making available or distributing.
He pleaded guilty to the first charge May 5, 2022.
The court heard several times that while Roelofsen has referred to himself as a pedophile, he has denied ever having had sexual contact with a child. Vancouver Provincial Court Judge James Sutherland stressed that in his decision, saying there was no evidence, allegation or admission of actual child molestation.
Sutherland also stressed that possessing child pornography feeds a market for such material.
“Children are abused to make this material,” the judge said.
It was alleged the offence took place between April 11, 2015 and June 25, 2020.
Crown prosecutor Louise Krivel told Sutherland that police located more than a million images and 15,000 videos of children on Roelofsen’s computers.
Roelofsen, a former registered practical nurse working with children and youth in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority region, was caught when a chat service provider noticed a message about children being molested and flagged it to the Vancouver Police Department.
Krivel said Roelofsen was also involved in the school system and sexual health education.
“The accused love their job,” Sutherland said. “They forfeited the privilege of having that job.”
The court heard the details of some message exchanges Roelofsen had with others. Sutherland called those conversations “extremely vulgar and sinister.”
Sutherland found Roelofsen “profoundly remorseful and feeling a significant degree of shame and humiliation for being involved in the offence.”
Sentence conditions include house arrest for the first four months and then eight months with a curfew.
Roelofsen must also abide by restrictions on going anywhere where there are people younger than 18 except when incidentally unavoidable. He must also obey restrictions on internet usage.
