Former camp counsellor charged with child pornography

A former Camp Encounter councellor has been charged with the distribution and possession of child pornography.

Strathcona County RCMP along with members from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) arrested Tanner Porteous, 19, Sept, 6, after executing a search warrant at his Sherwood Park home.

Strathcona RCMP launched an investigation in January after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided information about a Sherwood Park suspect accessing child pornography.

Porteous previously worked as a camp counsellor and then summer camp volunteer programmer with Camp Encounter, near Lac La Nonne.  The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton owns the camp.

Police said in a Sept. 10 release that there is no indication that the alleged offences were connected to his service at Camp Encounter and he had no access to any camp computers.

While the investigation and charges are related “strictly to online offences,” ICE is encouraging anyone with information about the case to contact Strathcona County RCMP.

In an online statement posted Sept. 10, the Archdioceses said it was “shocked and disheartened” to learn about the allegations.

“The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton has offered its full cooperation to the RCMP, and we encourage anyone with relevant information to contact them,” the Archdioceses said in their statement. “The Archdiocese is committed to providing safe environments in all of its parishes and institutions. All volunteers and staff, including those at Camp Encounter, are required to undergo background checks, give signed agreement to a code of conduct, and complete the Called to Protect abuse prevention training program.”

Porteous has been released with conditions and is scheduled to appear in court in Sherwood Park on Sept. 19.

The province established ALERT in 2006 to combat organized and serious crime. Over 300 municipal police and RCMP work together in teams to investigate everything from drug trafficking to child exploitation to gang violence.