MORRISBURG – Three charges relating to possession and distribution of child pornography have been dropped against a North Dundas man.
Peter Graham, 36, of Winchester had been arrested and charged in December 2015 following an investigation which involved Australian authorities.
The Queensland Police Service had tipped off Ontario Provincial Police that an unknown person in Ontario had uploaded child sexual abuse images to the internet.
After many court appearances, a trial started July 18-19, 2017 in Morrisburg, where the lawyer for the accused had filed an application under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms pertaining to evidence in the case.
In an email to Cornwall Newswatch, Emilie Smith, spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, said the judge delivered a ruling on Aug. 8.
“The judge delivered his decision on the accused’s Charter application and excluded the admissibility of some evidence at trial. Following the ruling, the Crown re-assessed the strength of the prosecution and determined that there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction,” Smith wrote.
Graham was acquitted late last month (Aug. 21) on two counts of possession and one count of distribution of child pornography.