Winnipeg news: A high-risk sex offender is out of prison and expected to live in Winnipeg, and police say he remains a high risk to reoffend in a sexual or sexually violent way.
By Maplestime Winnipeg Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 12, 2026
Sources: CTV News Winnipeg, City of Winnipeg | Last updated: November 12, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Marinus Willemse, 59, was released from Milner Ridge Correctional Centre on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after serving an eight-month sentence for breach of recognizance.
- Police say he is expected to take up residence in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- He is considered a high risk to reoffend in a sexual or sexually violent manner against adult women and children, both boys and girls.
- He has served three federal penitentiary sentences and has been arrested within about a month after every release, police say.
- He is under a lifetime order and release conditions that include a 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew.
- Anyone with information should call the Manitoba Integrated High Risk Sex Offender Unit at (431) 489-8056.
Who Was Released
Police have identified the man as Marinus Willemse, 59. He was born on February 15, 1967, according to the City of Winnipeg community notification released on November 12, 2026, at 12:13 p.m.
The Manitoba Integrated High Risk Sex Offender Unit, known as MIHRSOU, is a joint forces unit of the Winnipeg Police Service and the RCMP. It issued the notification on Thursday, the same day Willemse was released. CTV News Winnipeg also reported the release on November 12, 2026, at 5:21 p.m. EST.
Police describe Willemse as follows:
- Height: 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
- Weight: 102 kg (224 lbs)
- Hair: Grey, shaved
- Eyes: Blue
- Tattoos: A snake on his right forearm, a skull on his right hand, wings and a dragon on his left upper arm, and a panther and a devil on his right upper arm
- Mark: A scar on the bridge of his nose
The Offences and Sentence
Willemse was released from Milner Ridge Correctional Centre in Manitoba on November 12, 2026, after serving a sentence of eight months, including 26 days of pre-sentence custody, for a conviction of breach of recognizance.
His criminal history goes back decades. The City of Winnipeg says his record includes convictions for abduction of a person under 14, forcible confinement (2 counts), attempt abduction (2 counts), robbery (2 counts), kidnapping, sexual assault with a weapon (2 counts), use of a firearm during the commission of an offence (3 counts), wear disguise with intent, break and enter to commit an offence, assaulting a peace officer (2 counts), assault with intent to steal, uttering threats (3 counts), possession of weapons, and breach of recognizance (5 counts).
The most serious sentence was a global 20-year sentence. On October 26, 2001, he was convicted of nine offences from three incidents in November 1999 and given the 20-year sentence, in addition to two years of pre-trial custody credit. The offences in that sentence were abduction of a person under 14, use of a firearm during the commission of an offence, forcible confinement (2 counts), assault with a weapon, disguise with intent, assault with intent to steal, uttering threats, and breach of recognizance (2 counts).
Police gave these details of the November 1999 incidents:
- On November 9, 1999, Willemse tried to lure two girls, aged 6 and 10, who were playing alone at a playground, by asking for help to find his wallet and offering them money if it was found. He led the girls to a secluded area behind a garage, exposed himself, and the girls ran away.
- On the same day, he forced his way into a vehicle belonging to a mother and her 8-year-old daughter who were leaving a shopping mall. He held a knife to the child’s head and threatened to kill her if the mother did not cooperate. The mother and daughter managed to escape.
- Three days later, on November 12, 1999, while wearing a balaclava, he tried to rob a lone female clerk at a video store, tied her up, and threatened to shoot her if she did not cooperate. When a customer entered the store, he fled. He was arrested at the time for the three incidents.
Before that, in April 1989, he received a global sentence of ten years for robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault with a weapon, and use of a firearm during the commission of an offence, when he sexually assaulted and robbed a lone female employee. When a customer entered the store, the clerk was able to escape, but Willemse forced the customer to drive him to a secluded area where he sexually assaulted and robbed her. Those offences happened less than two months after he was released from a sentence of two years less a day for two counts of attempt abduction, imposed in November 1986, for offences in which he tried to lure a group of six children walking down the street by offering money to rake leaves. The children ran away.
He also received an additional four months on April 9, 2021, for threatening his parole officer in advance of a parole hearing.
Police say Willemse has served three federal penitentiary sentences and has been arrested within about one month after every release. After serving the global 20-year sentence, he was released in 2022. Within one month, he was arrested for uttering threats and possession of weapons. He stayed in custody serving sentences for uttering threats (3 counts), possession of weapons, and breaches of court orders (2 counts). He was released in February 2026 but was taken back into custody on March 16, 2026, until his release on May 28, 2026. He was arrested on June 8, 2026, and stayed in custody until his release on November 12, 2026.
While in custody, Willemse took part in some sex offender programming, but police say he is still considered high risk to reoffend in a sexual or sexually violent manner. Adult women and all children, both boys and girls, are at risk, according to the notification.
Release Conditions
On release, Willemse is subject to a lifetime order that prohibits him from:
- Attending public parks and public swimming areas where people under the age of 14 are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, or a day care centre, schoolground, playground or community centre
- Seeking, obtaining or continuing any employment, or being a volunteer, that involves being in a position of trust or authority towards people under 14
He is also subject to a Recognizance Order and a Probation Order. Their conditions include:
- Curfew: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and he must be in his own residence, except for verifiable medical emergencies for himself or an immediate family member, employment with prior written permission from his probation officer, or other exceptions with prior written permission from his probation officer
- Travel: He must get prior written permission from his probation officer for any travel outside the city limits of Winnipeg and provide a detailed itinerary, including route, mode of transportation, departure and anticipated arrival
- Alcohol and drugs: He must abstain absolutely from alcohol, any illegal drug, any non-prescription drug, or any substance that will cause a person to become intoxicated
- Alcohol venues: He must not attend any place, business or special event where one of the primary purposes is the sale of alcohol, including beverage rooms, bars, lounges, strip clubs, vendors, and liquor or wine stores, except that he may attend a licensed restaurant to buy food
- Victims: He must not contact or communicate with any of his previous victims or members of their immediate family, in person, by phone, mail or email, or through a third party, and must not attend at or near any location where they may live, attend school, work or worship
- Relationships: He must notify his probation officer of any person with whom he has any type of relationship, and if the officer deems it appropriate, the officer will notify that person of his offence history
- Pornography: He must not view pornography in any format involving any age of person
- Children: He must have no contact, direct or indirect, and must not be in the presence of anyone under 16, except through unavoidable public encounters or unless supervised by a responsible adult approved in writing in advance by Probation Services or Child and Family Services
- Places where children gather: He must not attend a public park, public swimming area or community centre where children under 16 are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, and must not attend any daycare centre, school ground or playground
- Work: He may not seek, obtain or continue employment, whether paid or volunteer, that involves contact with anyone under 16 or that places him in a position of trust or authority over anyone under 16
- Weapons: He must not own, possess or carry any weapon or any object designed or intended for use as a weapon, and may not possess or carry any knife at any time, except for eating and only for that purpose
- Restraints: He must not possess or carry any item that may be used to restrain another person, including stockings, pantyhose and ropes
- Other conditions: He must not be in the company of any sex trade worker, and must not engage in any form of gambling, including bingo, VLTs, lotteries, online wagering and sports betting, and must not enter a casino or other establishment where gambling is the primary purpose
Willemse is also subject to a lifetime weapons prohibition order.
What Police Are Asking the Public to Do
Police say the information is provided so members of the public can take suitable measures to protect themselves. Police also warn that any form of vigilante activity or other unreasonable conduct directed at Mr. Willemse will not be tolerated.
If you have information about Willemse, contact the Manitoba Integrated High Risk Sex Offender Unit at (431) 489-8056. You can also contact the Winnipeg Police Service at (204) 986-6222, your local RCMP detachment, or Manitoba Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-8477 or toll free at 1-800-222-8477. In an emergency, call 911.
The same information is also posted on the Manitoba Justice sex offender notification website.
Maplestime will provide updates as announcements are made.
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