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  Pastor Gets Jail Time for Making Explicit Video

CTV
December 9, 2009

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091209/bc_pastor_pornography_091209/20091209?hub=Canada

CANADA -- A Surrey, B.C., pastor was convicted and sentenced to jail after an explicit video was posted online encouraging the rape of a young teenage girl.

Larry Robert Collins was convicted for possession of child pornography. He was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 months in jail, to be followed by three years of probation.

The 45-year-old, who served as a pastor with the Church of Nazarene in Guildford until last year, used pictures from the teen's Facebook profile to create a video willing people to sexually assault her, the BC Integrated Child Exploitation Unit said.

"It's just so wrong on so many levels," Const. Rosiane Racine told CTV British Columbia.

"The video included sexually explicit scenes. As the video plays there is writing -- words of encouragement to rape a child."

Racine would not provide specifics about what was contained in the text, only saying "it's very harsh."

She added Collins knows the victim, who lives out of province, but the pair did not have daily contact. It is not known if the victim was ever a member of his congregation.

The exploitation unit said Collins also created online accounts impersonating the victim and encouraged people to visit a web link to see the video. In these interactions, Collins posted the name and home town of the victim, putting her in harm's way, Racine said.

The church

The Church of Nazarene said Collins was immediately dismissed after coming forward about the charges in September 2008.

"When it surfaced he was denied any further access to the property or the congregation. Period," Rev. Douglas Wood, the transitional pastor who took over for Collins last year, told CTV News.

Wood said Collins, who had only been working for the church for a year, had little contact with teenagers or young children in his role as pastor. He describes the child pornography charges as disappointing for the church congregation and leadership alike.

"It's been a very hard passage for the church," he said.

"Hopefully the sentencing will bring a degree of closure and won't have a long-lasting impact. It's a strong, vibrant congregation."

A lengthy investigation

The BC Integrated Child Exploitation Unit began investigating Collins in June 2008 after being given the video from authorities where the victim lives.

Collins confessed to making the video and distributing it on the internet after being interrogated by B.C. authorities.

An additional charge of distribution of child pornography was stayed by Crown Counsel Tuesday.

"In his judgment, the judge highlighted the true heinous nature of this crime and expressed that such crimes should not be tolerated," Racine said.

The victim is not being named. She is safe and sound with her family, Racine said.

She added her unit, made up of eight special constables, sees few cases like this.

"We see disturbing things on a daily basis in our work but this one is different in the way it's specific to a person and encouraging people to just do this kind of stuff to a young person."

"Some of the stuff that's happening out there is unthinkable."

 
 

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