Crown wants man who tried to lure girls at Angus park deemed long-term offender

A Clearview Township man convicted in 2023 of trying to abduct 12-year-old girls at a park in Angus will soon have a long-term offender hearing.

Anthony Holtorf, 38, appeared in a virtual Barrie courtroom Wednesday afternoon to set dates for a long-term offender hearing nearly two years since Holtorf, was convicted of four counts criminal harassment and trying to two girls under the age of 14.

• Ont. man convicted of trying to abduct girls in Angus park awaits dangerous long-term offender hearing

Long-term offender status is designed to protect the public from an offender deemed a high risk in the community following a prison sentence. Specific safeguards put in place include enhanced supervision up to 10 years with conditions on where an offender can live, and with whom they can associate.

The court set aside a week starting in late September; the defence however was unable today to provide further dates in the fall as Justice Annette Casullo requested. The defence requested dates in 2026 in previous appearances before the Barrie judge.

Holtorf, who has been out of custody for most of the proceedings. The Crown request to have Holtorf deemed a long-term offender comes after receiving approval from the Ministry of the Attorney General. The prosecution and defence received a psychological assessment report on Holtorf following about a year-long wait due to backlog to secure a forensic psychiatrist.

He was found guilty by Justice Casullo of trying to lure the underage girls into his car to play what he called “the taste test game” with him. Holtorf was arrested when the girls told their parents what had happened.

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The victims, whose identities are protected under a publication ban, testified in court Holtorf offered one of them money and sweets, repeatedly trying to get one girl to leave her friends and join him in his car. He told one girl he had a child around her age, and that they would get along.

After a search of his car, police testified they discovered Holtorf had a backpack in the vehicle containing a neck collar attached to a metal chain, a metal whip, pre-knotted ropes, four sets of Velcro restraints and condoms.

Police testified Holtorf had a remote-controlled vibrator attached to his genitals.

In 2022, Holtorf was acquitted of similar charges when the judge ruled there was not enough evidence to prove Holtorf was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Matter is scheduled to return to a virtual courtroom next week to set the second week of hearing dates with submissions scheduled for the first week in January.