September 30, 2009
The Canadian Press

OTTAWA – A bishop based in Nova Scotia has been charged with possessing and importing child pornography, just weeks after his diocese reached a $15-million settlement with people who said they were abused by priests as children.

Raymond Lahey, 69, resigned from his post with the Roman Catholic diocese of Antigonish on the weekend before news of his arrest became public knowledge today.

Police says Lahey was sent for a secondary examination at the Ottawa airport as he was returning from a foreign country on Sept. 15.

Ottawa police said in a news release that border services searched his laptop and "found images ... that were of concern."

The laptop and other media devices were seized by border guards.

"The forensic examination of the computer and media later revealed child pornography," the release says.

He was released at the airport pending further investigations. Police say a warrant was issued for the arrest of Lahey when charges were laid on Friday.