‘All females are at risk’: serial sex offender released from prison

Law enforcement are warning the public that a dangerous sex offender with a lengthy history of abusing women is expected to live in Winnipeg after his release from prison.

Douglas Wayne Bowman, 62, left prison on Thursday after serving a lengthy sentence for two sexual assaults he committed at knifepoint, said the Manitoba Integrated High Risk Sex Offender Unit, a joint force of the Winnipeg Police Service and RCMP that keeps an eye on certain sex criminals.

Bowman was handed the 14-year sentence in 2018, less six years time served, and designated a dangerous offender. Criminals deemed dangerous offenders are given indefinite federal sentences until parole officials decide it is safe enough to release them.

Now that he’s leaving prison, Bowman will be subject to a 10-year long-term supervision order, which allows corrections and parole officials to continue to monitor him in the community even though his sentence is complete.

“All females are at risk of sexual violence, particularly those of smaller stature working in the sex trade,” police said in a news release on Thursday.

Bowman, who is five-foot-six and 355 pounds, has done some treatment programming in prison, but is still considered a high risk to commit sex crimes.

Under his supervision order, Bowman must reside in a designated place; follow a treatment plan for sexual deviance and violence; cannot take any drugs other than prescription medications; not be in the presence of any girls unless accompanied by a reasonable adult who knows his history and the contact has been approved by his parole supervisor; and never communicate with or be in the presence of any sex workers.

He’s also barred from possessing weapons for life.

Bowman was in prison for attacks on two Winnipeg sex-trade workers in separate incidents dating back to 2010 and 2013.

In the 2010 attack, Bowman picked up the sex-trade worker, drove her to another location and assaulted her. He cut the back of the woman’s neck with a sharp object and threatened to kill her before she was able to flee.

In 2013, he picked up a sex-trade worker and drove her to another location. He pepper-sprayed the victim and held a knife to her stomach before he raped her in the back of his minivan.

The brutal assault lasted three-to-four hours, parole officials said, and caused extensive physical and emotional trauma to the woman.

Bowman was diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder and shows psychopathic traits, said one of two forensic psychiatrists who assessed him and reported their findings at trial.

Both psychiatrists said Bowman is likely a sexual sadist who gets pleasure when people suffer.

Bowman has a history of sexually deviant behaviour that dates back to his youth, parole officials said in a 2021 decision that denied him release.

In 1983, Bowman was sentenced to six years in prison for rape.

He continued to deny his involvement in the 2010 and 2013 attacks to parole officials in 2021, claiming the victims were “just mistaken” and misidentified him and his vehicle.

Bowman told police he had been with “hundreds of sex workers over the years.” He also admitted to becoming violent, using a knife, punching, slapping and threatening to kill the women in about 50 per cent of the encounters.

“You said you did not consider the sex workers to be victims as they were there to service your needs,” wrote parole officials in 2021.

When parole officials asked him about those admissions, he said he was just being “smart” with the police questioning him, and again denied any sexual interactions. He said he simply sold drugs to sex-trade workers.

He also claimed to not have any issues with women.

erik.pindera@winnipegfreepress.com