‘High-Risk’ Sex Offender Expected to Reside in Surrey, BC, Police Warn

Police in Surrey are warning the public that a “dangerous” offender with a history of child sexual abuse convictions will be residing in the southwestern British Columbia community.

Surrey Police Services (SPS) and Surrey RCMP issued public advisories this week after learning Leonard Michael Ramstead is expected to live in the city. 

Ramstead has been classified by law enforcement as a “dangerous high-risk offender,” and police say he is suspected of continuing to pose a threat because of the risk he may commit violent sexual crimes targeting children.

Ramstead was convicted in 2019 for sexual interference with a minor younger than 16, followed by a second conviction in 2021 for another offence involving a child younger than 14.

He received statutory release in April 2024 after serving two-thirds of his fixed-term sentence. RCMP subsequently alerted the community of his release, saying he posed a risk to young children and adolescent girls.

Statutory release in Canada is a mandatory legal requirement where federal offenders serving a fixed-length sentence are released from prison to serve the final third of their sentence under supervision in the community.

His statutory release ended this month and Ramstead is now transitioning to a 10-year long-term supervision order. 

Police describe Ramstead as a 58-year-old white male with brown hair and blue eyes. He measures five-foot-seven in height, weighs approximately 235 pounds, and normally wears a beard.

He will be subject to electronic monitoring while simultaneously being monitored by investigators from the Surrey police Major Crime Unit, the alert said. He must also live in a designated residence approved by Correctional Services.

He is subject to a number of bail conditions, including a ban on contacting the victims of his offences and a complete restriction on any interaction or communication with minors under the age of 16.

Ramstead is also prohibited from being near places where children are likely to congregate such as day cares, elementary or secondary schools, parks and playgrounds, swimming pools, and recreational centres. He has likewise received warnings against taking any employment or volunteer role that would place him in a position of trust or authority over children younger than 16.

Ramstead must immediately disclose all relationships and friendships with men and women, as well as any alterations in the status of those relationships or friendships to his parole officer. He is prohibited from associating with known criminals, must follow a treatment plan, and faces restrictions regarding his phone use and is prohibited from using alcohol or drugs.

Police said anyone who becomes aware of a potential breach of Ramstead’s conditions should not approach him and should immediately call 911.