By Canadian Press

convicted in 1987

‘Paper Bag Rapist” denied parole in online hearing from Bowden Institution

Mar 25, 2021 | 12:43 PM

BOWDEN, Alta. — A man who was once called the “Paper Bag Rapist” has again been denied parole.

John Horace Oughton, 71, was convicted in 1987 of two counts of rape and six counts each of indecent assault and sexual assault with a weapon in British Columbia.

He was tagged with the disturbing name because he made his victims wear a bag over their heads or wore one himself to mask his identity.

Oughton appeared at an online parole board hearing Wednesday from the federal medium-security Bowden Institution in Alberta, where he’s serving an indeterminate sentence as a dangerous offender.

He was denied day parole and full parole by the two-person board.

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“The board does not see any significant gains that have been made,” Marilyn Kenny, one of the board members, told Oughton.

“We’re just not satisfied that you are at that point.”

Oughton said during the hearing that he’s mentally ill, but he believes he’s ready for day parole.

“As long as somebody takes care of my medication, I am fine,” said Oughton, who noted he takes antipsychotic medication as well as drugs to fight depression.

He said he doesn’t apologize for his illness, but he’s sorry for what he did to his 14 victims and has apologized to some of them personally through a restorative justice program.

One of the parole board members noted Oughton is believed to have had between 30 and 140 victims. Oughton said he doesn’t even remember some of the women or girls he was convicted of assaulting.

“There must have been others,” he told the board, calling what he did horrendous.

“They did nothing wrong. It was all me. I was 100 per cent to blame here.”

The sexual assaults on the women and children took place in B.C.’s Lower Mainland in the 1980s.