A 52-year-old man won’t spend any time behind bars after he pleaded guilty to sexual assault.
On Oct. 16, New Westminster resident Fred Bilawey was sentenced to 18 months probation and received a 10-year firearm prohibition after pleading guilty 10 days earlier to one count of sexual assault.
Bilawey was first arrested and charged in March when a woman contacted the New Westminster police alleging Bilawey had assaulted her. The woman told police she was assaulted after responding to a job posting on Craiglists for a waitress/bartender position at a local bar, The Recordpreviously reported.
At the time, police issued a statement asking any other potential victims to contact investigators, believing there were other victims who had yet to report similar assaults. No other victims were ever reported.
Less than one month after his first court appearance, Bilawey was reported missing. Police had reason to believe he was suicidal but one week later Bilawey was found alive. Police wouldn’t say where he was found although there was speculation he was in the Toronto area.
Two months later, an arrest warrant was issued for Bilawey. According to police, Bilawey had not returned to New West for his latest court appearance and therefore the warrant was issued.
"New Westminster Police Department investigators have information that Mr. Bilawey is not currently in the country; however further specifics on this are not being released at this time,” Staff Sgt. Paul Hyland wrote in an email to The Recordat the time.
On Sept. 20, Bilawey returned to Canada and was arrested by police at the airport and taken into custody.
