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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
American admits bid to smuggle child porn
Convicted Minnesotan guilty of possession
A convicted U.S. sex offender has admitted he tried to smuggle child pornography into Canada.
Gregory Joseph Lague, 50, was arrested at the Emerson border crossing in September 2009. The resident of Dent, Minn., was charged with three offences under the Customs Act, including smuggling imported goods, failing to report imported goods and possession of unlawful imported goods.
Lague returned to Winnipeg Wednesday for what was expected to be the start of his trial. Instead, he pleaded guilty to possession in exchange for the other charges being dropped. The Crown requested he be taken into custody pending sentencing, which isn't expected for several months.
Queen's Bench Justice Jeffrey Oliphant will give his decision today. Lague has been free on bail since shortly after his arrest, residing back in his home state under strict conditions and a $20,000 cash deposit.
Lague, who is married with children and grandchildren, was placed on Minnesota's registered sex-offender list after being convicted in 2004 for misdemeanour sexual assault against a woman. He was given 30 days in jail, an 11-month suspended sentence and two years' probation. Border officials searched his laptop after he was denied entry to Canada based on his criminal record. That's when they found pictures and movies of young children in sexual acts with other children and adults.
At the time of his arrest, Lague was employed by an American computer company that has a satellite office in Winnipeg. Justice sources say Lague claimed to be coming to Manitoba for a fishing trip.
There have been several other recent examples of U.S. citizens being busted in Manitoba on sex-related offences.
In the fall of 2009, an American missionary who has travelled the world teaching religion to young people was given 20 months behind bars after getting caught with nearly 5,000 child-porn images at Richardson International Airport. Ronald William White, 25, had flown from Virginia to meet a woman he met online, court was told.
In May 2009, Missouri resident Greg Pitzer, 58, pleaded guilty to illegally entering Canada while awaiting sentencing for sexual misconduct involving a child.
He was deported to the U.S. where he faced a lengthy prison term.
In April 2009, a 38-year-old Minnesota man accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl was deported after he was found hiding in a Portage la Prairie hotel. Roger Shane Mitchell had been on the run since 2008.
And in November 2008, Missouri resident Troy Greenbank was captured in Winnipeg trying to avoid prosecution on allegations he arranged to have sex with a 10-year-old girl following an Internet arrangement with the victim's mother. Greenbank, 29, was eventually deported and faces up to 50 years behind bars if convicted.
www.mikeoncrime.com
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 11, 2012 A6
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