Kingston, Ont. police issue more than $100,000 in party fines, arrest sex offender during wild weekend

Albert Street, in Kingston, Ont.'s University District. (Kimberley Johnson / CTV News Ottawa)

KINGSTON, ONT. -

Kingston police had a busy weekend in the city's university district, issuing more than $100,000 in fines and arresting several people including a registered sex offender.

The weekend began at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, when police attended a large house party on Alfred Street. Loud music was being played and people were shooting off fireworks in the back yard. As many as 40 people ran away as police and bylaw officers arrived, police said in a news release.

More than 25 people—the limit for indoor gatherings under the Reopening Ontario Act—were inside the house at the time. Police said 59 aggravated nuisance party fines of $2000 were issued. Three men were also arrested for providing fake names, including one who needed to be taken to the police station and was fined another $500 for obstruction.

"A potential total of $118,500 in administrative monetary penalties were issued at that one residence, with the tenants still facing later charges to be prepared by Bylaw for hosting/organizing a gathering in excess of the prescribed numbers under the Reopening of Ontario Act (ROA), which are to carry a minimum $10,000 fine each," Kingston police said in the release. "This could result in a total of $200,000 in penalties and fines being levied."

Sex offender found prowling around

At around 11:50 p.m. Saturday, police said a woman called from a home on Albert Street, reporting a suspicious man standing on her back porch.

Police could not find the man at first but a second call with a similar description came in and the man was found nearby on University Avenue. He was identified as a 31-year-old registered sex offender.

"The male had conditions to notify the local sex offender registry manager, a Kingston Police officer in the Special Services Unit, of any change of address," police explained. "When he was attempting to show police an email on his phone of his correspondence with the SOR manager regarding his address, one of the officers noticed he had images on the mobile device that appeared to have been taken through a window into an unknown residence bedroom."

The man was arrested but while being taken to the police station, police said he smashed his head against the Plexiglas divider in the car, earning him an additional mischief charge. He remains in custody awaiting a court date. Police are now trying to get a warrant to access his phone so they can find out whose bedroom he took pictures of and whether any charges can be laid.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Kevin Closs at [e-mail] or 613-549-4660 ext. 6302. As the accused is listed on the Sex Offender Registry police did not release his name due to regulations under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA), which makes it an offence to identify a person on the database.

Queen's students face charges

In addition, police also said charges were laid against two different Queen's University students over the weekend for public intoxication.

One of them, an 18-year-old man, had been previously charged earlier in the month for similar offenses and was ordered to abide by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and to not possess or drink alcohol. Since he was found at 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, he was charged with breaching conditions.

A second student, a 20-year-old woman, was arrested after being spotted with open alcohol. Her friends told her to run, but she was found in a nearby back yard and taken to the police station. During the ride, police claim she kicked the Plexiglas divider in the car and broke it. She is now facing charges of mischief and resisting arrest.

Kingston police say their officers and bylaw officers responded to 210 noise complaints from Friday through to Sunday in the University District. This resulted in six criminal code charges, 41 liquor licence act offenses, 61 nuisance party fines, 13 noise violations and two fines for obstructing police.