THUNDER BAY - A former childhood educator previously convicted of child pornography possession was recently arrested for breaching a previous prohibition order and possessing child pornography.
Mark Philip Lehtonen, 37, appeared in Thunder Bay bail court on Wednesday, June 17, and was officially charged with one count of breaching a prohibition order that required him to not access a computer with Internet access and one count of possession of child pornography.
Duty counsel Aranka Golphy spoke on behalf of Lehtonen’s lawyer, George Joseph, who requested a temporary publication ban that prevents the publication of evidence and information discussed at the accused’s court appearance.
Thunder Bay Police Service say they executed a search warrant at a home in the 400-block of Rupert Street on Tuesday, June 16 after receiving information regarding suspicious online posts by a local internet user, according to a Thunder Bay police news release issued Wednesday.
In 2013, Lehtonen, then 29, was charged with offences related to child pornography after police received an extortion complaint from a young woman saying an unknown man had nude photos of her when she was underage.
An investigation led police to a Shuniah Township home where the accused was arrested. It was also learned at the time the accused was employed as an early childhood educator in Thunder Bay.
A decision published in 2016 by the College of Early Childhood Educators discipline committee concluded Lehtonen's Certificate of Registration was revoked and he was permanently refrained from ever reapplying or seeking certification with the college in order "to protect the public interest," the panel stated in the decision.
Lehtonen was sentenced to more than a year in prison for these offences, according to a 2015 CBC report.
The accused was remanded in custody and will appear back in court on Thursday as his counsel works on a bail plan.
