Ont. man accused of luring children at park with post-it notes denied bail

Mitchell Koopmans was denied bail amid allegations he left several notes at a park containing links to an adult-only website.

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Bail was denied to a Hillsdale, Ont. man facing sex crime charges, including sexual assault and child luring at a hearing Friday afternoon in Barrie.

Mitchell Koopmans, 34, is accused of leaving behind yellow post-it notes at various locations in a park in Hillsdale in mid-April inviting children to connect on an adult website. Investigators said the discovery was brought to the attention of police who then charged Koopmans days later.

Koopmans, who has been in custody for three months, was denied bail despite pledging at least $100,000 to secure his release under strict conditions, including a surety house arrest with GPS ankle monitoring.

Already facing sexual assault and sexual interference allegations from a year and a half ago in Barrie’s Superior Court of Justice, Koopmans newest set of charges include five counts of sexual assault, making sexually explicit material available to children, child luring through telecommunication and invitation to sexual touching along with unauthorized possession of a weapon.

He is alleged to have left post-it notes along park benches and on the grass with the message ‘Free Adult Chat’ followed by links to sexually explicit content.

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Huronia West Ontario Provincial Police revealed its investigation was supported by the Child Sexual Exploitation Unit and Repeat Offender and Parole Enforcement Unit to identify the accused.

At the time of his arrest, police appealed to the public, including any potential victims, to come forward. Weeks later Koopmans was charged with several counts of sexual assault dating back more than a decade.

The special bail hearing had been in the works for more than a month. Koopmans has made about a dozen virtual court appearances from jail as he and his loved ones sought to hire a defence lawyer to get him out of custody.

A publication ban prevents any evidence heard in court from being released.

Koopmans is scheduled to make his next appearance later this month in a virtual courtroom from jail in Penetanguishene. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.