Child porn smuggled in, Crown alleges

Gregory Joseph Lague, 47, was arrested at the Emerson border crossing on Sept. 24. The resident of Dent, Minn., was charged with three offences under the Customs Act, including smuggling imported goods, failing to reported imported goods and possession of unlawful imported goods.

Police and border officials never released any information about Lague's case, which was discovered by the Free Press through court documents. Sources say the investigation is ongoing on both sides of the border as investigators continue analyzing Lague's computers and movements.

Provincial court Judge Heather Pullan rejected Lague's bid for bail on Oct. 9. Queen's Bench Justice Perry Schulman overturned Pullan's ruling on Thursday and agreed to release Lague immediately. Publication bans were imposed on details of the hearings.

Lague must pay a $20,000 cash deposit which will be forfeited if he fails to return to Canada for his court dates. He is also required to stay off computers, except for his work with an American computer company that does have a satellite office in Winnipeg.

Lague, who is married with children and grandchildren, must also have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18. He is expected to be turned over to Canada Border Services Friday morning and returned to the U.S.

Lague was placed on Minnesota's registered sex offender list after being convicted in 2004 for misdemeanour sexual assault against an adult 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 last month based on his criminal record. They allegedly found pictures and movies of young children in sexual acts with other children and adults.

Justice sources say Lague claimed to be coming to Manitoba for a fishing trip.

Lague's lawyer Sheldon Pinx told the Free Press on Thursday he may challenge the legality of the search of his client once the case gets to trial. Lague is facing the prospect of a lengthy jail sentence if convicted.

Last month, 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 the James Richardson International Airport. Ronald William White, 25, had flown from Virginia to hook up with a woman he met online, court was told.

There have been at least three other cases of American sex offenders attempting to get into Canada through Manitoba in the past year.

In May, Missouri resident Greg Pitzer, 58, pleaded guilty to illegally entering Canada while awaiting sentencing on for sexual misconduct involving a child. He was deported to the U.S. where he may face a lengthy prison term.

In April, 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 last Sept. 9.

Last November, 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, faces up to 50 years behind bars if convicted, but is now seeking to fight deportation and obtain refugee status and protection from the Canadian government.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 16, 2009 A9