Ont. man convicted of trying to abduct girls at park to be deemed long-term offender

Anthony Holtorf, 38, will be deemed a long-term offender after he was convicted of criminal harassment and trying to abduct 12-year-old girls at a park.

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Nearly two years after he was convicted of criminal harassment and trying to abduct 12-year-old girls at a park, 38-year-old Anthony Holtorf will be deemed a long-term offender.

Crown Attorney Miriam Villamil-Pallister and defence lawyer Mary Cremer confirmed the resolution in a Barrie, Ont. courtroom ahead of what was supposed to be the start of Holtorf’s long-term offender hearing.

The Crown told the court under the agreement Holtorf will accept his long-term offender status and a sentence of two years less a day. It will be served at a facility in Brampton called the Ontario Correctional Institute for treatment in its sexual offender program.

Long-term offender status applies to those who pose a substantial risk of re-offending.

Holtorf, of Clearview Township, was convicted in November 2023 by Justice Annette Casullo of two counts of criminal harassment and two counts of attempted abduction for trying to kidnap two 12-year-old girls at an Angus park in March 2019.

Holtorf was charged when the girls came forward and told their parents. The girls, whose identities remain protected under a publication ban, testified in court. Holtorf offered one of them money and sweets, trying repeatedly to get the girl to leave her friends and join Holtorf in his car.

When police arrived, investigators discovered Holtorf had a backpack in his car; in it, a neck collar attached to a metal chain, a metal whip, pre-knotted ropes, four sets of Velcro restraints and condoms. Cremer tried to have the evidence in trial deemed inadmissible but was unsuccessful.

The resolution comes about a year after the Crown sought to have Holtorf deemed a long-term offender pending a forensic psychologist’s report. A backlog in securing a psychologist led to the delay.

Holtorf remains out on bail after serving about two-and-a-half years behind bars prior to trial.

As part of the proposed resolution with the defence, the Crown told the court Holtorf will be under an eight-year long term supervision order. The conditions of the supervision order will be based on recommendations from the forensic psychologist who authored the report on Holtorf.

The matter is scheduled to resume Wednesday with further evidence and testimony.