Ottawa Police, working with the Canadian Border Services Agency, have arrested an Ottawa man for several child pornography charges, after the man returned from a voluntary mission at an orphanage in Nepal.
Paul McCarthy, 62-years old, from Ottawa was arrested at Pearson International Airport in Toronto destined for Panama City. Police say the man was stopped by the CBSA last month after returning from the volunteer mission, when police officers found evidence of suspected child pornography and conversations requesting sexual relations with children under the age of 16.
A subsequent investigation by the Ottawa Police Internet Child Expolitation (ICE) Unit confirmed the images as child pornography, identifying five young Nepalese male victims under the age of 16.
McCarthy's Facebook page says he worked for CARE Canada; a humanitarian-relief agency. But on Saturday, a spokesman for the agency said McCarthy hasn't worked for the group since the late 1990s.
McCarthy is believed to have travelled to Nepal for several weeks before returning to Canada in mid-December.
Working with Ottawa Homeland Security Investigations and the CBSA, police arrested McCarthy Friday and escorted him off a plane at Pearson International Airport in Toronto destined for Panama City. McCarthy was transported back to Ottawa Friday afternoon, where he faces several charges for possessing and importing child pornography and luring a child under 18.
Ottawa Police said they also simultanously executed a search warrant at his residence in Ottawa, where they found other electronic devices containing images of child pornography.
McCarthy's lawyer Bob Carew, who asked the bail hearing be adjourned to review evidence against his client, expressed confidence in his client's innocence. "Any charge is serious and we'll deal with it on Tuesday for bail hearing." said Carew.
Police say the investigation is ongoing, and ICE investigators are concerned there could be more vctims. Police say they expect to lay additional charges.
With files from CFRA's Sara Cimetta.