An Abbotsford sex offender convicted of luring youth over the Internet created a fake online Facebook persona and managed to collect close to 300 "friends".

Jeffrey Goddard, 22, was arrested last Thursday for violating his court conditions barring him access to the Internet and any contact with minors.

Adopting the name 'Ryan Martin Stewart', Goddard allegedly created an "elaborate" false identity, which included the creation of a family-run landscaping company and an employment history as part of a ruse to make contact with youth on the Internet, said Const. Ian MacDonald.

"He used the fictitious persona and the landscaping company as a means to look for face-to-face meetings with people under 18 [years old]," said MacDonald.

"The company provided the financial or employment incentive as a potential lure."

In the false profile, Stewart is listed as the supervisor at Stewart Landscaping LTD, and a former student at BCIT who lives in Abbotsford.

" I am a really loveing person and i am caring if u wanna know anymore about me please dont be affraid to ask me," states one posting.

The page has numerous pictures of puppies, kittens, other baby animals as well as links to music videos and rock/pop bands.

With the recent Facebook site Goddard managed to accumulate more friends than he had when convicted, said MacDonald.

Goddard had previously used Facebook to connect with his victims who were aged between 12 and 16 years old, all but two of whom were boys.

He employed at least five aliases to make contact with the young people.

He would glean telephone numbers and call the victims, pose as a police officer and offer them gifts or work opportunities in an effort to get the teens to meet him.

One 15-year-old boy ran away from his foster home to stay at Goddard's home, where Goddard made sexual advances

He was sentenced to 20 months behind bars in June 2011 after pleading guilty to invitation to sexual touching, luring a child under 16 using a computer, impersonating a police officer and two breaches of bail conditions.

He was released on probation in February, at which time the APD issued its third public warning about Goddard and his probation conditions.

Investigators want anyone who interacted in any way with a Ryan Martin Stewart or Stewart Landscaping to contact the Abbotsford Police at 604-859-5225.

RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com

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