A man who was found with child pornography while crossing the border from the U.S. into Abbotsford in 2011 has been given a six-month jail sentence.
Gordon Lawrence Ellis was sentenced recently in B.C. Supreme Court in Chilliwack on charges of attempting to smuggle images, video and written electronic material of child pornography, contrary to section 159 of the Customs Act.
This case dates back to Sept. 14, 2011, when Ellis was returning to Canada through the Abbotsford-Huntingdon port of entry and was referred for secondary examination.
Border services officers examined his electronic media and discovered suspected child pornography. The officer seized the electronic devices and arrested Ellis.
The case was referred to the Canada Border Services Agency‘s (CBSA) criminal investigations section (CIS), which identified a total of 105 written stories, nine videos, and 61 still images of child pornography belonging to Ellis.
So far this year in the Pacific region, border services officers have made 31 suspected child porn seizures, including 19 at the Vancouver International Airport.
“We are committed to preventing this prohibited material from crossing our borders and protecting the vulnerable in society,” said Harald Wuigk, assistant director of the Pacific region’s CIS.
Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border or illegal activity is encouraged to call the CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060.
