Neighbours on edge after convicted rapist moves in

Some residents in North Vancouver, B.C., are uneasy after a man who spent 26 years in jail for rape moved into their neighbourhood.

Ivan Henry, now in his early 60s, was found guilty of rape and indecent assault in 1983. He was recently released on bail, pending a review of his conviction.

He is living with his daughter in North Vancouver under several conditions: he must be accompanied by an adult, abide by a curfew, submit to electronic monitoring and undergo psychiatric counselling.

However, none of that is good enough for his new neighbour, Allison Harry.

"[I'm] terrified. I can't imagine anything more terrifying," she said.

"He's in the neighbourhood, rather than a halfway house where he could be supervised by somebody who is trained."

A few doors away, Tyler MacKay echoed that concern.

"What was really shocking to me was the fact that they didn't tell anybody. This guy is in our neighbourhood and he's allowed to be free," he said.

Likely to reoffend, says parole board

Henry was convicted of three counts of rape and several other sex-related offences following attacks on eight women in Vancouver in the early 1980s.

Henry, who had a previous record for attempted rape, was convicted and declared a dangerous offender.

The B.C. Court of Appeal reopened his case earlier this year after a government-appointed lawyer suggested there might have been a miscarriage of justice.

However, a National Parole Board assessment in 2008, filed before the courts agreed to reopen his case, painted Henry as an untreated, violent sexual offender who was at a high risk to reoffend.

In one instance, Henry was said to have tracked the movements of a female guard and masturbated in front of her.

Henry's lawyer, Cameron Ward, did not return calls to CBC News on Friday, but has said in the past Henry refused some treatments while in prison because he felt it would be an admission of guilt.

Ward also said the reports were based on the now-questionable assumption that Henry committed the crimes.

However, neighbours say that's not good enough.

"My wife even said that she can't sleep at night. I don't know how to tell my girls what's going on," MacKay said.

Neighbours have unsuccessfully appealed to the district, the province and the federal government to have Henry moved out of their community.