Charged with sexually assaulting teen

A man charged with the sexual assault of a teen girl in Abbotsford has a Facebook site seeking support to prevent his being deported back to the United States, where he has violated his parole conditions.

Jason "Booda" Reise, 34, is charged with sexual assault, communicating via computer to lure a child under 18, invitation to sexual touching a youth under 16, and administering a drug to commit an offence in connection to a 2008 incident involving a 15-year-old Abbotsford girl.

Reise is also currently wanted in the states for violating his parole in the state of Pennsylvania after being convicted for property crime.

A landed immigrant, he is appealing his Aug. 25 deportation order and his return to the U.S.

His parents reside in B.C. and he has been living in Abbotsford for several years.

Reise came to the attention of Abbotsford Police during an investigation into a child luring incident in January 2009, said youth squad officer Const. Kevin Murray. Reise became the subject of a joint investigation by the APD and Canadian Border Services Agency, and was arrested on both an immigration warrant and in connection to the assault charges, said Murray.

Reise, whose nickname is Booda, is the subject of a Facebook site that protests his possible removal from Canada. The site is administered by two other people, but Reise actively posts and responds to comments on the site.

There are numerous pictures of Reise posing with young people, his tiny white dog, or puffing on marijuana joints.

In a posting on Aug. 30 under the moniker "Booda Jay," Reise wrote, "Please post how I affect your life whether it be good or bad. How have I made a difference in your lives and how me being removed from Canada will affect you ... I am taking this information and webpage with me to my court hearings to show how the community, not just my family, need me ... thank you all very much for your support."

At one point in a Sept. 15 post, he makes a reference to himself as a former drug dealer.

There are numerous comments on the site posted by young people protesting Reise's situation and stating what a "kind and caring," "amazing" person he is. A number state how they depended on Reise and being able to go to his house when they were upset or facing personal problems.

Pam Redden, a youth and family worker with Abbotsford Community Services, said it can be a worrying situation if youth are hanging out at an adult's house and using it as a crash or party pad.

At-risk youth often don't realize they are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, said Redden.

"It's common for youth to trade sex not just for drugs, but for shelter and food as well," she said.

Police often cannot lay charges in such cases, unless they have sufficient evidence such as proof of the administration of drugs or witness statements.

Young people think they are fully aware of what they are involved in, and don't see the risk or harm.

"If they find somebody who would provide them with drugs or alcohol... they see it as meeting their needs and they are OK with the arrangement ... but they don't have a clear picture of what they are doing."

Teens need to learn what real respect looks like and to recognize when they are being controlled or manipulated to meet an adults' sexual needs.

Regardless of what the youth believe, it is illegal for for an adult to have sex with someone under the age of 16, Redden added.

Reise is next scheduled to appear in Abbotsford provincial court on the sex charges on Oct. 22.