A police officer and an Air Cadets officer are among three Barrie men facing child pornography charges.
Local Air Cadets Maj. Collin Christopher Scott, 48, and RCMP officer Michael Gavin Thomander, 39, as well as 28-year-old Anthony Pitocco, were held for bail hearings today after being charged.
OPP Det.-Sgt. Terry Paddon said police searched Scott’s home yesterday and seized three computers containing electronic evidence.
Paddon said officers believe Scott shared images with an American citizen and were tipped off by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Scott, Thomander and Pitocco do not know each other, Paddon said.
“There is no relation, other than they were sharing images over the Internet. They’re just making them available,” Paddon said. “However, two individuals lived a couple of houses apart.”
Paddon said Thomander and Pitocco were charged as a result of a local undercover investigation.
Thomander is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of accessing child pornography and one count of making available child pornography.
Scott is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of transmitting child pornography.
Pitocco is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of accessing child pornography and one count of making available child pornography.
RCMP spokesperson Richard Rollings said Thomander is posted in the Greater Toronto Area, but refused to share his employment history.
“He is not posted in any section that has any direct dealings with children or the general public, for that matter,” Rollings said.
Rollings said once the RCMP was notified about the OPP investigation, it immediately started its own review.
“That review allows us to initiate code of Conduct investigation as well as suspend a member with or without pay,” he said, adding he should know the results of the review by the end of the day.
“Someone could be suspended with pay in the interim and that could change to without pay in the foreseeable future.”
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Barrie Air Cadets commander, RCMP officer facing child pornography charges
Local Air Cadets Maj. Collin Christopher Scott, 48, and RCMP officer Michael Gavin Thomander, 39, as well as 28-year-old Anthony Pitocco, were held for bail hearings today after being charged.
OPP Det.-Sgt. Terry Paddon said police searched Scott’s home yesterday and seized three computers containing electronic evidence.
Paddon said officers believe Scott shared images with an American citizen and were tipped off by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Scott, Thomander and Pitocco do not know each other, Paddon said.
“There is no relation, other than they were sharing images over the Internet. They’re just making them available,” Paddon said. “However, two individuals lived a couple of houses apart.”
Paddon said Thomander and Pitocco were charged as a result of a local undercover investigation.
Thomander is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of accessing child pornography and one count of making available child pornography.
Scott is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of transmitting child pornography.
Pitocco is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of accessing child pornography and one count of making available child pornography.
RCMP spokesperson Richard Rollings said Thomander is posted in the Greater Toronto Area, but refused to share his employment history.
“He is not posted in any section that has any direct dealings with children or the general public, for that matter,” Rollings said.
Rollings said once the RCMP was notified about the OPP investigation, it immediately started its own review.
“That review allows us to initiate code of Conduct investigation as well as suspend a member with or without pay,” he said, adding he should know the results of the review by the end of the day.
“Someone could be suspended with pay in the interim and that could change to without pay in the foreseeable future.”
video
Barrie Air Cadets commander, RCMP officer facing child pornography charges