Former Sudbury TV reporter Callam Rodya sentenced to house arrest in child porn case
CBC
A former northern Ontario reporter has been sentenced to house arrest after being found with some 400 'graphic' images of child pornography.
Callam Senyk-O'Flanagan, who was known professionally as Callam Rodya, pleaded guilty last month to one count of committing an indecent act, after the drug and child pornography charges he was facing were dropped.
He was sentenced Thursday by a Sudbury court to a nine-month conditional sentence. For half of it he will be under house arrest and the other half under a curfew order.
"This is very difficult. I love this community. This city was my home for more than 20 years. It gave me so much, my soul mate, my dream career," the 35-year-old told the virtual court proceeding.
"And I let you all down. I threw away everything I cared about it. And it's something that will haunt me for the rest of my life."
Senyk-O'Flanagan, who worked as a journalist for CTV and Sudbury.com, was found to be in the possession of over 400 "graphic" images and videos in 2018.
"Although I did not to set out to do the things I've admitted to, I allowed curiosity to take over and corrupt my moral integrity," he said, adding that he is being treated for bipolar disorder and substance abuse.
"While this has permanently damaged my reputation and those of everyone I love, I hope you will see that there is so much more to me than what brings me before the court today.
"I have done wrong, but I can and will do better."
Justice Pierre Bradley ordered that after nine months, Senyk-O'Flanagan can remove his electronic monitor, but he will still be on probation for one year, is forbidden from having contact with children and will submit his DNA to a central data bank.
Michael Lacy, Senyk-O'Flanagan's lawyer, told the court that members of the public wondering about the outcome in this case should know that "troubling police conduct" coloured the investigation.
He said that Det. Const. Chris Kerr engaged in "questionable and unconstitutional conduct" including how he executed search warrants and attempting to "extract incriminating information" from detainees before allowing them to speak with a lawyer.
Lacy also said there was a "systemic policy" by Greater Sudbury Police of not giving detainees their constitutional right to a bail hearing within 24 hours of arrest.
He said he came across these practices by Sudbury police during another case he was involved with.
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