Man Acquitted of Child Porn Charges

A Vernon man has been acquitted of child pornography charges, due to a technicality.

56 year old William Munton was facing two charges of making child porn, and one of possessing it.

However, BC Supreme Court Justice Hope Hyslop dismissed the case, after ruling the search warrants police used to obtain the evidence were invalid.

Hyslop says “material facts were omitted in the warrants ” which were used to obtain images of alleged child porn from Munton’s computer, his cell phone, and on a CD found in his house.

The Crown said the alleged offences occurred between 2011 and 2016.

Crown counsel rested its case after the decision, leading to Munton being acquitted.

Munton didn’t have any comment for the media, nor did Crown lawyer Jeremy Guild.

Defence lawyer Julian Van Der Walle would only say he felt the judge’s decision was “eminently reasonable, and we’re happy with the result.”

Munton faces 19 counts of arson in a separate case tied to a series of fires around Vernon in 2014.

Those charges will be in court Oct. 11 for a pre trial conference.