The RCMP and a defence lawyer have made separate pleas for convicted sex offender Peter Whitmore to turn himself in.

Whitmore, 35, is thought to have abducted 10-year-old Zachary Miller from Whitewood, Sask., on Sunday. As well, police believe he has another boy, 14-year-old Jordan Bruyere of Winnipeg.

A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Peter Robert Joseph Whitmore, 35, of Morinville, Alta. Police believe he is in the company of 10-year-old Zachary Miller of Whitewood, Sask., and 14-year-old Jordan Bruyere of Winnipeg.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Peter Robert Joseph Whitmore, 35, of Morinville, Alta. Police believe he is in the company of 10-year-old Zachary Miller of Whitewood, Sask., and 14-year-old Jordan Bruyere of Winnipeg.
(RCMP/HO/Canadian Press)
In a recorded statement Tuesday, Cpl. Laural Mathew of the RCMP's Chilliwack, B.C., detachment said she had worked with Whitmore while he was in B.C. Mathew also pleaded with Whitmore to release the two children.

"Peter, this needs to come to an end," Mathew said. "The best thing for you to do right now is to find a way to do what you have always done before and release the children. It's time for you to do that now, Peter."

Later, Whitmore's former lawyer, Daniel Brodsky, issued a similar plea during an interview on CBC Newsworld.

"Peter, if you're watching this broadcast, go and turn yourself in," Brodsky said. "Put the kids on a bus."

'A lot of scared people'

Brodsky said there are "a lot of very scared people," and for Whitmore's own safety and to avoid a high-risk police takedown, urged him to walk into the nearest police station. Brodsky said he would help Whitmore find a lawyer in any city.

Earlier in the broadcast, Brodsky commented on federal Justice Minister Vic Toews's call for tougher sentences for child sex offenders.

Asked about the Whitmore case, Toews said while he couldn't discuss a specific case, Canada must end conditional sentences and house arrest for sexual predators.

"What's not working is simple," Brodsky said. "Police forces are not sharing information."

High-risk offenders can be monitored with the use of a community supervision order, but the system breaks down when authorities in different jurisdictions don't co-operate, he said.

"The authorities in Alberta allowed the order to lapse," he said. "After it lapsed — this is astonishing — but after it lapsed they went to Peter and said, 'Hey Peter, we know that you have your complete freedom now and you can do whatever you want; you're completely finished with the justice system. But if you stay here, we're going to take your freedom away again next week. And you'll consent to those conditions won't you?'"

Brodsky said Whitmore agreed but disappeared soon afterwards.

Need better tracking of sex offenders: minister

Toews also said he wants to beef up the system for tracking sex offenders.

He noted there is a sex offender registry in each U.S. state, and that the Americans have recently introduced federal legislation that co-ordinates tracking of sex offenders across the country.

Canada needs to look at developing a similar kind of system, Toews said.

Meanwhile, the family of Zachary Miller is also passing along a message to the child through the RCMP.

"Zachary's father wants to say, 'I'm thinking about you bud' and that the family is very concerned with his safety. He also wants to let Zachary know that they are working very hard with the RCMP and victim services to bring him home."

The police have received about 80 tips from the public so far and are requesting continued support from the public and media.