The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) is warning the public about a convicted sex offender living in the community who has been charged with another sexual offence.
Thomas Michael Pappas, 49, was arrested on Sunday, after police received a report of an incident that took place at about 9 a.m. that day in Swensson Park in west Abbotsford, near the Aldergrove border.
Const. Ian MacDonald said a woman in her 40s and her parents were walking in the park when they noticed a man lying on a grass area between the tennis courts and the playground.
They initially saw that the man had no shirt, but quickly noticed that he was also masturbating.
The woman contacted police on her cellphone, and the culprit left the park. A patrol officer located a man on Lefeuvre Road who matched the woman's description.
Pappas has been charged with committing an indecent act and possession of a controlled substance. He was released from custody on $500 bail.
He has previous convictions for sexual assault, uttering threats and theft. He is under probation orders for assault causing bodily harm and theft under $5,000.
MacDonald said Pappas was previously living in Mission, but now appears to have moved to Abbotsford.
He is 5' 9" and weighs 160 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
Pappas' court-ordered conditions include: no contact with any person under the age of 16; not to attend parks, playgrounds, recreation centres or other places a person under 16 can expected to be present; and not to possess or consume alcohol or controlled substances.
Anyone with information about Sunday's incident or concerning Pappas is asked to contact the APD at 604-859-5225 or text abbypd (222973).