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Father freed of porn charge
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A California man who was turned back at the Canadian border two weeks ago after he was found with keepsake pictures of his unclothed toddler son will have child pornography charges dropped in court today.
In an email to his family sent through MP Colleen Beaumier (L-Brampton West), a senior government official said the Crown attorney in Sarnia has "elected" to withdraw Customs Act charges against Paramjit Singh for attempting to smuggle child pornography, a "prohibited commodity," into Canada on his cellphone.
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"Criminal Code charges are not being pursued by (the Ontario Province Police). Although they agree that the images of the prepubescent infant by definition is child pornography under the Criminal Code, they believe the images were not taken for sexual gratification," said the email from Joel Bernard, director of Parliamentary Affairs — Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
The Sarnia court will be asked to withdraw the charges in Singh's absence. He's to get his confiscated cellphone back and be reissued landing papers at the border, having surrendered the originals to officials. He also will be allowed to enter Canada to be reunited with his wife Shinderpal, and children Nevjot, 5, and Priyinka, 2.
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Singh, 39, who holds a U.S. green card, was detained at the Bluewater Bridge, denied entry and cited for smuggling obscene images April 7, while processing paperwork to become a landed immigrant.
"We went to our (Sikh) temple yesterday to thank God for answering our prayers," said an elated Shinderpal, 36, who married Singh in 2000 and had been travelling back and forth to visit him. "My little girl said, `Mama, you don't have to cry any more. Papa is going to be home.'"
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Source: www.thestar.com
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