After he was released on parole to a Quebec halfway house in 2004, convicted of sexually abusing his daughter, the man disappeared.

Police issued a Canada-wide warrant. His family presumed him dead.

But the man had fled, first to western Canada, where he planted trees.

Likely, he wanted a fresh start, a clean slate, a name not tied to previous convictions for fraud, drug-related offences, and, now, sexual assault.

So he stole someone else’s.

When a co-worker, Greg Davies*, left his wallet sitting in his truck, the man swiped his personal information.

Then, with his new identity, he took off again, this time to the Yukon.

The man, whose real and impersonated names the Star is not revealing due to a publication ban on his daughter’s identity, has been here since, living and working under the radar.

The truth might never have come out if it hadn’t been for a piece of mail intended for the fake Greg Davies but sent to the real Greg Davies in Quebec two years ago.

Davies’ father called Yukon RCMP in April of 2012. His son had received a tax return from Ketza Construction in the territory, but his son had never worked for Ketza. He’d never even been to the Yukon.

The RCMP called Ketza, who confirmed they had an employee named Greg Davies.

Using the phone number the company had on file for the worker, police tracked the cell phone and found it was registered to a woman who lived on Fish Lake Road.

They spoke to a neighbour who knew a man named Davies, and said he’d lived there for about six years with his spouse.

Officers left two voicemail messages for him on May 8.

The man turned himself in that day. That’s when the RCMP learned there was an outstanding warrant, dating back to his escape from the halfway house nearly 10 years earlier.

He was charged with two counts of identity fraud. Self-represented, he appeared in Yukon territorial court for sentencing on Monday morning after pleading guilty to both charges.

“I understand the wrong path I’ve been on for pretty much the last 20 years,” the man told Chief Judge Karen Ruddy.

“I’m making sure that it’s not getting repeated.”

Ruddy spoke at length about the man’s efforts over the past two years to better himself. Arrested on May 8, 2012, he was in custody until January of 2013, when he was accepted into Yukon Community Wellness Court because of mental health issues.

His performance in that program has been “exemplary,” Ruddy said, adding that he’s been sober since his arrest and has “come to terms with some pretty terrible things he’s done in his past” through therapy.

He completed a residential treatment program for his drug and alcohol issues.

He has started his own business, with up to 14 employees at times.

He now has bank accounts and a driver’s licence in his own name.

And he’s taking steps to reconnect with his immediate family, though his daughter understandably wants no contact with him, Ruddy said.

He has shown genuine remorse for what he did, she said.

“He certainly should be commended and congratulated for his efforts over the past two years to get his life back on track,” the judge said.

But she acknowledged she had to balance that with the seriousness of the crimes – that he maintained a false identity in order to avoid police detection and responsibility.

“They are very serious offences,” she emphasized.

Without his participation in community wellness court, she said he’d likely have been sentenced to 18 months in jail.

But given all the work he’s done, she sentenced him to eight months on each count, served concurrently in the community. He’ll be given one month’s credit for time served.

He’s under several conditions, including a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and abstaining from alcohol. He will voluntarily continue working with his counsellor.

Following the sentence, he’ll be on probation for 18 months.

After giving her sentence, in an uncommon judicial display of warmth, Ruddy descended from the bench and shook the man’s hand.

“I want to congratulate you, I want to commend you on your effort over the last couple of years,” she said, adding she hoped he could continue on to live the life he wants to lead.

*Name has been changed.