Petition calls for ‘harsher’ sentence for man who sexually interfered with young person in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Nearly 700 people have signed a petition calling for a man who sexually interfered with a young person in Fort St. John to be given a “harsher” sentence.

On October 3rd, 2025, provincial court Judge Oliver Fleck sentenced Timothy Jacob Schlosser to an 18-month conditional sentence order, which is a custodial sentence served in the community generally under house arrest or “strict” curfew conditions, followed by three years of probation, according to the BC Prosecution Service.

Schlosser pled guilty to sexual interference involving a person under 16 years of age.

The court also imposed a DNA order, placed Schlosser on the national Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) registry for 20 years and issued a 20-year prohibition on attending public parks or working or volunteering with young persons.

Also on October 3rd, Judge Fleck ruled on an application by Schlosser arguing his case took too long to reach trial.

The court agreed his right to be tried within a reasonable time had been violated, but rejected the request to suspend the case altogether. Instead, the judge reduced the length of the sentence as a remedy for the breach.

The BC Prosecution Service told Energeticcity.ca the Crown has decided not to appeal the sentence in this case.

The online petition argues the sentence does not reflect the seriousness of the offence and is calling for the BC Prosecution Service to intervene.

“This is terrifying for parents and community members,” the anonymous petition organizer wrote. “House arrest is not justice for a child who will carry this trauma for life.”

The petition specifically points to Justin Sewell’s sexual assault case as an example of conditional sentences that were initially imposed in sexual offence matters and later revisited.

The petition says the sentence allows Schlosser to live “almost normally,” adding it “feels like barely a punishment at all” and warns the decision “sends a dangerous message to future offenders.”

The petition currently has 684 signatures, as of January 13th, 2026.

Energeticcity.ca reached out to the petition organizers but did not hear back in time for publication.