Victoria police are looking for a man believed to be a high risk for committing sexual assaults and a particular danger to those 16 or younger. Mark Peter Bell, 47, who sometimes dresses as a woman, has eluded police since September 2011, when a warrant for his arrest was issued under a rarely used section of the Criminal Code that allows the courts to impose conditions on someone without a criminal conviction.
Police say Bell was known for living in parks throughout the capital region at the time the warrant was issued. Bell, described as a six-foot-one white man weighing 200 pounds, left the province last year, but is believed to have returned. This [warrant] is used very rarely and only under extreme circumstances, said Const. Mike Russell, spokesman for Victoria police.
If arrested, Bell will be held until he can make a court appearance, where a judge will determine what conditions, if any, to impose.Bell is described as balding with scraggly hair on the sides and back, according to a police description. He also had some facial stubble and is known to wear a dark-coloured wig when dressing as a woman.
Anyone with information regarding Bells whereabouts is asked to contact 250-995-7654 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
