By Patricia Brooks Arenburg
The Chronicle-Herald
October 14, 2009
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9013623.html
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| Former bishop Raymond Lahey Photo by MARY ELLEN MacINTYRE |
Items seized as part of child pornography investigation
Nova Scotia RCMP are in the midst of searching a home where former Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey once lived.
"Early this morning, members of our provincial Internet child exploitation unit executed a search warrant at the former residence of former Bishop Raymond Lahey in Sydney," Sgt. Brigdit Leger, RCMP spokeswoman, said.
On Tuesday afternoon, members from the unit and the RCMP's street crime officers "executed two search warrants in Antigonish — one at the residence and one at the office of the former Bishop Raymond Lahey," she said.
Bishop Lahey is now living at a priests' residence in Ontario, where he is facing child pornography charges in Ottawa laid after border services examined on his laptop computer on Sept. 15.
Although Sgt. Leger didn't identify the exact location of the search in Cape Breton, a source said officers were at 29 Xavier Dr., inside apartment No. 7, looking for electronics and images pertaining to Bishop Lahey.
According to provincial property records, the Sydney building is owned by the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Antigonish.
The group also owns the bishop's former residence at 23 Silverwood Drive in Antigonish and his former office at 168 Hawthorne St. in Antigonish.
The searches and investigation by Nova Scotia RCMP stemmed from the Ottawa investigation, but is separate from it, Sgt. Leger said.
"We want to ensure that we're doing a thorough and complete job" in this province, she said.The Sydney search is ongoing, however officers have already seized items during the searches in Antigonish.
"Two computers and some external media have been seized from Antigonish," Sgt. Leger said. "Specifically what and specifically from which location, I wouldn't be able to disclose, but I can confirm material has been seized."
The items seized in the searches will be examined by the Atlantic technological crime unit before police look at whether or not to lay charges against the cleric.
The searches and investigation by Nova Scotia RCMP stemmed from the Ottawa investigation, but is separate from it, Sgt. Leger said.
Contact: pbrooks@herald.ca
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