Edmonton police warn of 'violent sexual offender' following release

Laverne Waskahat in photos provided by Edmonton Police Service.

Police in Edmonton issued a public warning Tuesday afternoon about Laverne Waskahat, who they say is at "risk of committing a sexual offence against a child."

Waskahat was released from custody Monday, after serving a sentence for breaching a court order, and will be living in the Edmonton area.

"Waskahat is a convicted violent sexual offender, and the Edmonton Police Service has reasonable grounds to believe Waskahat is of significant harm to the community," spokesperson Scott Pattison wrote in a news release.

Police said Waskahat has a history of making and publishing child pornography, assaulting children and taking voyeuristic photos of them.

"Waskahat may try to associate with someone who has young kids to groom them for offending behaviour," Pattison wrote.

"Waskahat has also been known to frequent public bathrooms in order to carry out voyeuristic offending behaviour."

Waskahat is 47 years old, five-foot-eleven and 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with any information about any criminal offences committed by Waskahat can contact police at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).