Police arrest sex offender who allegedly sat next to girl on B.C. bus

VANCOUVER – Transit Police say a sex offender who was released nine days ago is back in custody for allegedly sitting beside a teenaged girl on a bus in Surrey, B.C.

Police spokeswoman Anne Drennan says James Conway was living at a halfway house in the Metro Vancouver city and was required to abide by 27 conditions.

She says two conditions meant Conway was not allowed to sit nearanybody who appeared to be under 18 and was required to carry a copy of the court order and produce it when questioned by police.

Drennan says the 40-year-old boarded a bus Tuesday morning and alleges he sat down on a double seat beside a 14-year-old girl, even though other seats were available at the time.

She says Transit Police arrested him without incident for allegedly breaching the two conditions.

Drennan says Conway was jailed for breaching conditions last year after a SkyTrain passenger reported that he was talking to and staring down the shirts of young girls.