By Jessica Smith
Metro Canada
May 4, 2011
http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/local/article/850636--roman-catholic-bishop-raymond-lahey-pleads-guilty-to-importing-child-porn
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Roman Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey, of Nova Scotia, is going directly to jail after he pleaded guilty to "importing" child pornography Wednesday.
Lahey, 70, the former head of the diocese in Antigonish, N.S., was caught at the Ottawa airport in September 2009 with photos of boys involved in sexual acts.
"Guilty, your honour," Lahey said, in response to the charge that he "did, without lawful excuse, possess for the purposes of importation child pornography in the form of graphic computer images."
Those images included sex acts performed on and by pubescent boys, Crown prosecutor David Elhadad read in an agreed statement of facts.
His lawyer, Michael Edelson, told the court Lahey wanted to give up his right to bail and be incarcerated.
"My client feels, deeply and profoundly, remorse and guilt about what he has done and the offence to which he has pleaded," said Edelson. "To signal to the court the sincerity and genuineness of his remorse, he wants to be in jail as of today's date."
Lahey came under suspicion after he hesitated and appeared nervous when questioned by a border agent at the airport as he was returning from London, England. His passport also indicated that he had been to Thailand and Indonesia. A border agent then found a few images she deemed to be child pornography on his computer as well as sex toys in his bag, according to the statement of facts.
Further investigation found 588 images deemed child pornography on electronic devices he owns, as well as stories that depict forced sex acts, torture and degradation of young boys, the crown read to the court from the statement.
The Crown asked the judge for a pre-sentencing report, which the defense opposed.
Justice Jack Kirkland declined the request for a pre-sentencing report, citing a report from Dr. John Bradford, professor and head of the division of forensic psychiatry at the University of Ottawa.
Bradford examined Lahey and will testify on a date that has not yet been set. The case will be spoken to May 26 to set a date for Bradford to testify.
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