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	Warrant Describes Evasive Bishop By Dan Arsenault The Chronicle-Herald October 9, 2009 http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1146662.html Behaviour, travel destinations prompted search that found photos Bishop Raymond Lahey avoided eye contact, changed his vocal tone and gave evasive responses when a border agent at Ottawa International Airport questioned him last month about his electronic equipment. A Canada Border Services agent asked the bishop if he was carrying any electronic media such as cellphones, laptop computers or BlackBerrys when he arrived at the airport at 3:43 p.m. on Sept. 15, says a search warrant application. Bishop Lahey had just arrived from London, England. The bishop told the border agent he had two cellphones. The agent then asked the former head of the Diocese of Antigonish if he had a laptop. Bishop Lahey hesitated before saying he did. In all, the bishop was carrying a laptop, two cellphones, four memory sticks, three memory cards and a portable hand-held device. The agent flagged Bishop Lahey for a secondary inspection because of his behaviour and the fact he was a man travelling alone who had visited countries known to be sources of child pornography, says an Ottawa police officer’s application for the warrant on Sept. 23. The search warrant application was made two days before police charged Bishop Lahey with possessing and importing child pornography. The documents say he has made several trips to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Spain and Germany since 2005. A second border services inspector asked Bishop Lahey for his laptop password and then found three sexually explicit images. Another border inspector joined in the search and waited for the arrival of a police detective. Border agents and police asked him about the images. "After being cautioned, Lahey admitted that the laptop belonged to him and that he was attracted to males aged 20 to 21," the documents state. The interviewers felt that it was difficult to determine the ages of the naked people and the bishop was released unconditionally. The Canada Border Services Agency seized the electronic gear. After searching it more thoroughly, border agents turned it over to the police a few days later. An Ottawa police officer then filed for a search warrant, which a judge approved. The documents describe eight sexually explicit images involving boys who police believe could be as young as eight. One boy is described as eight to 10 years old with a dark complexion and another is a blond boy believed to be nine to 12, according to the warrant application. Two photos are said to depict oral sex and another two show sexual touching. Nova Scotia RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. M.J. DeLuco said no search warrants have been sought in this province in relation to the bishop. "Nobody has come forward and provided us with any information that they saw him in possession of pornography. . . . There’s nothing along those lines whatsoever to date." Contrary to earlier reports, Bishop Lahey’s home on Silverwood Drive in Antigonish hasn’t been vandalized, a man from the neighbourhood said Thursday. However, a derogatory sign was hung on a gatepost, said the man, who refused to give his name. A security guard is watching the premises. The bishop is set to return to an Ottawa court on Nov. 4. He was freed on $9,000 bail and ordered, among other things, to avoid any place that children under age 18 may frequent. He has also surrendered his passport. With Patricia Brooks Arenburg, staff reporter, and Monica Graham Contact: darsenault@herald.ca
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