Teh One Who Knocks
01-01-2012, 01:37 AM
By Trevor Wilhelm, The Windsor Star
http://i.imgur.com/R5tG6.jpg
WINDSOR, Ont. -- The ever-expanding frontiers of wireless technology have presented Windsor police with a peculiar problem — pornography in public.
Police have received two reports in as many weeks about men using their laptops to look at pornography in conspicuous locations. The first was on a Transit Windsor bus. The second case happened late Thursday afternoon. A witness reported that a man was in Chapters bookstore looking at child pornography.
“We’ve had a couple instances in the last week, including this one at Chapters, where we’ve had people in public areas using laptops to access pornography,” said Det. Greg Loebach with the Windsor police child exploitation unit. “Just be vigilant. In this day and age, especially with 3G now, you can go anywhere and if you have the capability, you can pull it up wherever you’re at.”
Police stressed they aren’t linking the two cases and have yet to confirm details of either report.
Officers were dispatched to Chapters at Devonshire Mall around 4:30 p.m. Thursday. There was a call about a man hanging out between the magazine aisles looking at child pornography on his laptop. When officers arrived, mall security had him in handcuffs.
Police took statements from witnesses as well as the accused. The man denied looking at child porn and handed over his laptop to officers.
“Pending the examination we can’t confirm whether it’s a child exploitation offence, like child pornography, child nudity,” said Loebach. “We don’t know until we look at that.”
Officers released the man at the scene.
“Further investigation will determine if charges are laid in the future,” said Loebach. “He’s denied that it was child porn, so we will have to see.”
The first call about pornography in public came from Transit Windsor officials last week. They received a passenger complaint about a man on a bus looking at porn. Pat Delmore, director of operations, said the passenger sent an email to Transit Windsor wondering what the protocol is in this situation.
“Our response was we turn anything like that over to the police,” said Delmore. “It was done after the fact, we had no information.”
He said this was the first time Transit Windsor has received such a complaint. Officials are now developing a policy on how to deal with it. Delmore said Transit Windsor does not condone this kind of behaviour, and the new policy will likely give drivers the authority to tell passengers to shut their laptops when complaints come up.
“We’ve never had this happen, so we are going to look at it, and that will be a decision we will have to make internally,” said Delmore.
Loebach said Transit Windsor also wondered if police had ever heard of something like this happening on other forms of public transportation, such as the train. They hadn’t.
“I even called Toronto police to see if they’ve had any incidents on their public transit where people are viewing pornography of one sort or another, adult or child pornography,” said Loebach. “They said they didn’t have any reports of it.”
With technology so prevalent, Loebach said the situation has left police wondering how they might deal with these cases in the future. A child pornography charge is one thing, but if someone is looking at regular pornography in a public place, Loebach said there is nothing on the books for that.
“There are some charges that loosely fit it, but nothing specific to that yet,” said Loebach. “I don’t know if the politicians and legislators are coming up with something like that. I don’t know what’s in the works that way.”
Until new laws are introduced, he said police might rely on sections of the criminal code with “basket-type” charges like mischief.
“It’s pretty broad whether you’re damaging something or if you’re affecting someone’s lawful enjoyment of property,” said Loebach. “There are things we could fit into mischief that in today’s age, if we don’t have something specific, you can make a case there is a charge in there. So you can make an argument that it could be mischief at this point, because we have nothing better.”
Loebach also suggested people use common sense in public places.
“People should just know you don’t look at pornography, child or otherwise, because kids may be around to see it.”
http://i.imgur.com/R5tG6.jpg
WINDSOR, Ont. -- The ever-expanding frontiers of wireless technology have presented Windsor police with a peculiar problem — pornography in public.
Police have received two reports in as many weeks about men using their laptops to look at pornography in conspicuous locations. The first was on a Transit Windsor bus. The second case happened late Thursday afternoon. A witness reported that a man was in Chapters bookstore looking at child pornography.
“We’ve had a couple instances in the last week, including this one at Chapters, where we’ve had people in public areas using laptops to access pornography,” said Det. Greg Loebach with the Windsor police child exploitation unit. “Just be vigilant. In this day and age, especially with 3G now, you can go anywhere and if you have the capability, you can pull it up wherever you’re at.”
Police stressed they aren’t linking the two cases and have yet to confirm details of either report.
Officers were dispatched to Chapters at Devonshire Mall around 4:30 p.m. Thursday. There was a call about a man hanging out between the magazine aisles looking at child pornography on his laptop. When officers arrived, mall security had him in handcuffs.
Police took statements from witnesses as well as the accused. The man denied looking at child porn and handed over his laptop to officers.
“Pending the examination we can’t confirm whether it’s a child exploitation offence, like child pornography, child nudity,” said Loebach. “We don’t know until we look at that.”
Officers released the man at the scene.
“Further investigation will determine if charges are laid in the future,” said Loebach. “He’s denied that it was child porn, so we will have to see.”
The first call about pornography in public came from Transit Windsor officials last week. They received a passenger complaint about a man on a bus looking at porn. Pat Delmore, director of operations, said the passenger sent an email to Transit Windsor wondering what the protocol is in this situation.
“Our response was we turn anything like that over to the police,” said Delmore. “It was done after the fact, we had no information.”
He said this was the first time Transit Windsor has received such a complaint. Officials are now developing a policy on how to deal with it. Delmore said Transit Windsor does not condone this kind of behaviour, and the new policy will likely give drivers the authority to tell passengers to shut their laptops when complaints come up.
“We’ve never had this happen, so we are going to look at it, and that will be a decision we will have to make internally,” said Delmore.
Loebach said Transit Windsor also wondered if police had ever heard of something like this happening on other forms of public transportation, such as the train. They hadn’t.
“I even called Toronto police to see if they’ve had any incidents on their public transit where people are viewing pornography of one sort or another, adult or child pornography,” said Loebach. “They said they didn’t have any reports of it.”
With technology so prevalent, Loebach said the situation has left police wondering how they might deal with these cases in the future. A child pornography charge is one thing, but if someone is looking at regular pornography in a public place, Loebach said there is nothing on the books for that.
“There are some charges that loosely fit it, but nothing specific to that yet,” said Loebach. “I don’t know if the politicians and legislators are coming up with something like that. I don’t know what’s in the works that way.”
Until new laws are introduced, he said police might rely on sections of the criminal code with “basket-type” charges like mischief.
“It’s pretty broad whether you’re damaging something or if you’re affecting someone’s lawful enjoyment of property,” said Loebach. “There are things we could fit into mischief that in today’s age, if we don’t have something specific, you can make a case there is a charge in there. So you can make an argument that it could be mischief at this point, because we have nothing better.”
Loebach also suggested people use common sense in public places.
“People should just know you don’t look at pornography, child or otherwise, because kids may be around to see it.”