- An Edmonton pedophile with a long history of attacking children is facing being tagged a dangerous offender after admitting abducting and raping two young girls.
- Danial Todd Gratton, 45, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of sexual assault, two counts of kidnapping, administering a noxious substance, uttering threats and two counts of failing to comply with an order prohibiting him from having contact with children under 18.
- The Crown announced its intention to proceed with a dangerous offender application against Gratton and a judge ordered the pedophile to undergo a 60-day psychiatric assessment at Alberta Hospital.
- The two October 2008 sex attacks happened after Gratton had served a six-year prison term for sexually assaulting six children and was back in the community under supervision as part of a 10-year, long-term offender order.
- According to agreed facts, on Oct. 3, 2008, Gratton drove up to two girls he knew casually who were rollerblading in the parking lot of the north-side apartment complex he lived at and asked if they wanted to go for ice cream.
- One girl got into the back seat of Gratton’s Jeep and, as the other one went off to ask her grandfather for permission, Gratton drove away and headed for a secluded area in south Edmonton where he sexually assaulted the girl.
- According to the facts, the 10-year-old victim cried, screamed and tried to kick Gratton, but to no avail. After, he apologized and said he would never do it again and told her she could not tell anyone about what happened.
- Despite being scared, the girl told her mother about the attack and they reported it to the police.
- Two days later, Gratton drove up to a north-side school where a seven-year-old girl was playing with her brothers and asked them if they would like to see some kittens.
- After the girl said yes, Gratton picked her up and put her in the back seat before driving off. A neighbour witnessed the abduction, told the girl’s mom and police were called. An AMBER Alert was then broadcast.
- Meanwhile, Gratton took the girl to a wooded area in west Edmonton and sexually assaulted her in spite of her crying, screaming and pleading for him to take her home.
- After the attack, he gave her some antidepressant pills and drove to Wildwood, where he sent her to the hotel restaurant, gave her $10 and a note saying she had been dropped off and to make sure she gets home safe.
- Police were called and she was returned to Edmonton.
- Gratton was arrested that night and confessed the next day, telling a detective he had been having sexual fantasies about young girls for some time and acted on them.
- He also said the depth and degree of his problems are more severe than the average sex offender and high intensity treatment programs have not helped.
- “I just can’t seem to – can’t seem to get rid of it,” he said.
- National Parole Board documents reveal that Gratton has a history of pedophilia dating back to when he was 12.
This man is a repeat offender and even after having served a prison term, long term offender supervision and attended high intensity sex offender treatment programs, is still committing crimes and acting out his sexual fantasies. Obviously, nothing is working with this man. I feel he should be labelled a dangerous offender and held indeterminately in prison until he is no longer a risk to society. He should be given more treatment programs and counseling and possibly medication as well.
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