Long-term offender John Walter Sam will be released from a B.C. penitentiary today and is planning to come back to Whitehorse.

On Monday, M-division RCMP sent out a public notification about Sam's release from a B.C. corrections facility where he was serving his sentence for escape and being at large as well as for breaching a long-term supervision order.

'As Sam poses a moderate to high risk of re-offending, the RCMP has decided to release a public notification to raise community awareness and enhance community safety,' states the release.

In 2002, Sam was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in a federal penitentiary for fondling a young girl. At the time he was also deemed a long-term offender.

The court heard then of his previous sexual crimes, including a seven-year sentence in 1991 for raping a 14-year-old at knifepoint.

In February, Sam was ordered to serve a total of 27 months on the charge of escaping and being at large, and breaching his supervision order. He got a two-to-one credit time for the 7 1/2 months he spent in remand custody prior to being sentenced.

The charges dated back to last July 23 when Whitehorse RCMP were called about a vehicle parked in a wooded area near Range Road and Mountainview Drive. When they reached the scene, they found Sam in the car. He already had an outstanding warrant at the time.

As he was being arrested, Sam ran into the woods, with officers chasing after him. After a brief struggle, Sam was arrested and taken into custody.

Sam first moved back to Whitehorse in February 2005 after serving his 3 1/2-year sentence for the 2002 offence.

He is considered a high risk to re-offend against women and children and has a history of disguising himself as a woman.

He's described as being approximately five feet, eight inches tall, 190 lbs, with a medium build. He's a 42-year-old aboriginal man with brown, shoulder length hair and brown eyes.

'Sam is designated a long-term offender and is subject to a long-term supervision order,' reads the notification. 'He is under strict supervision of the National Parole Board (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada) until 2016.'

Conditions set out for Sam include:

• to live at a community residential facility and follow the rules imposed there, such as curfews;

• to abstain from all intoxicants;

• have no contact with children under 18 unless supervised by an adult approved in advance by his parole officer;

• follow psychological counselling and/or psychiatric treatment; and

• participate in the community sex offender program.

He is also forbidden from:

• walking on trails and he must remain visible when he's walking on main roadways;

• driving a vehicle; and

• dressing as a woman.

Anyone who sees Sam in possible violation of his conditions is asked to call RCMP immediately. Police can be reached at 667-5555.