A young Heyden man, whose online activities caught the eye of American authorities triggering a local police investigation, has been incarcerated for child pornography offences.
Travis Morin was sentenced Tuesday to two years less a day in a provincial jail, after pleading guilty last month to two charges.
The 25-year-old was convicted of distributing child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Superior Court Justice Michael Varpio imposed the sentence, which was jointly recommended by the Crown and defence.
Citing the need for deterrence and denunciation, he said this "sends a message to those in the community, who might have an urge to access such material, that you will end up with a sentence like this."
The distributing offence occurred between Jan. 19 and Feb.17 of last year.
The possession offence was related to videos and pictures of children under the age of 18 involved in explicit sexual activity. It occurred between April 19, 2021 and April 5, 2022.
Varpio sentenced the first-time offender to one-year behind bars for distributing the child exploitation materials.
He imposed a consecutive sentence of one year less a day for possession of child pornography.
Morin had a fair amount of such materials, the judge noted.
"It was not trivial," Varpio said, adding "it was not multiple thousands of documents."
Prosecutor Robert Skeggs said the offences contributed to a disgusting industry around child abuse — "the exploitation and degradation of children."
Victims are revictimized every time these images are viewed, he told the court during the sentencing hearing.
The assistant Crown attorney noted Morin is a young first-time offender with no criminal record and with some Gladue factors in his background.
Defence lawyer Ken Walker said his client lost his job as a result of the charges.
"He lost pretty well every friend he ever had," Walker told Varpio. "He feels like a pariah in this community."
Morin, a member of the Thessalon First Nation, has a grandmother who attended residential school.
He experienced poverty, physical and substance abuse in his home, and had a problem with alcohol, Walker said.
The defence suggested that a custodial environment, such as the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre, which offers cultural programs, would be helpful.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security alerted city police to Morin's activities in February 2022.
An undercover investigator had discovered Morin had been on certain platforms, frequenting child pornography sites, in January and February.
He was posting videos and images of pre-pubescent youngsters, the court heard when Morin pleaded guilty to the charges.
On April 5, city police and Ontario Provincial Police officers, armed with a search warrant, seized numerous devices from his residence.
Forensic examinations of the devices, conducted by the Sault police Technological Crime Unit, revealed child pornography had been downloaded and uploaded by accounts associated with Morin.
The officers found 76 videos on one device. Another had 579 videos with content that included children under the age of 10 engaged in sex with adults.
Varpio said the sentence he was imposing reflects Morin's Indigenous background and takes into account rehabilitation.
He cited the young man's age, lack of a prior criminal record, and guilty pleas, which show remorse, as mitigating factors.
The judge recommended that Morin serve his time in the Thunder Bay facility.
He also ordered the forfeiture of items seized by police.
Morin must provide a DNA sample for the national registry.
Varpio imposed a 20-year Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) order.
As well, he also prohibited Morin from attending numerous places such as parks and swimming areas, school yards, playgrounds, and daycare centres, where there are young people under the age of 16,
This 10-year order also places restrictions on his access to the Internet and devices.