A sex offender charged with possession of child pornography has avoided jail in Chilliwack provincial court on Thursday (May 4), but he is not able to avoid the online social media attacks on him.
Nicolaas Steve Scholten’s lawyer and Crown counsel agreed to what is known as a section 810 peace bond regarding a criminal charge he faced because of 24 images of child pornography found on his cellphone.
The 36-year-old was charged with possession of child pornography after 24 images of naked girls were found on his phone, girls estimated to be between the ages of 12 and 17.
And while Crown and Scholten’s own lawyer referred to him by that name, Scholten told the court he has legally changed his named to “Stetson Antony Outlaw.”
There are a number of websites and Facebook groups tracking Scholten (aka Outlaw) and his alleged ongoing behaviour attempting to connect with underage girls online, and otherwise meet women.
He has been accused of using multiple fake names on Facebook and on other websites to meet underage girls online.
Scholten has four children between the ages of two and 21 with four different mothers, all of whom have restraining orders against him.
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A court order for a recognizance or peace bond does not result in a conviction or a sentence for a criminal offence and is not considered a punishment. It does mean he has to agree to conditions handed down by the judge, similar to being out on bail or a conditional sentence.
Scholten was wearing worn jeans, cowboy boots, a long-sleeve shirt and held a baseball hat as he sat next to his lawyer in courtroom 204 on May 4 while Judge Kristen Mundstock heard the joint submission.
As part of the deal between Crown and defence, Scholten is required to attend a 12-month sex offender treatment program. Crown counsel Randy Robinson said he was told by the facility that Scholten will be prioritized for treatment “given his background.”
“The idea is that he gets help with his behaviours, which are quite clearly unhealthy and harmful,” Robinson said.
Scholten’s lawyer pointed to some of the online shaming that he says has affected his life.
“It’s been a pretty challenging stretch for him,” he said. “One individual in the community has taken it upon himself to harass him publicly.”
He blamed the public shaming for the fact that Scholten is unemployed and lives with his father.
Further conditions he faces is the standard no-go to parks and pools or school grounds, but he was allowed one exception by Judge Mundstock at his lawyer’s request, namely, to be allowed to attend playgrounds if he ever is allowed to have contact with any of his children again.
“It doesn’t appear there is anything imminent on that,” his lawyer said. “He has protection orders with his partners. It’s more a long range consideration.”
Mundstock made it clear to Scholten that he understood the playground condition, which included that he could only attend with his children and with another adult who knows about his conditions.
“You can’t just go to a playground if you want to go to a playground with an adult,” Mundstock clarified. “You must have your children with you.”
“I know,” he said.
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