THUNDER BAY -- Police are asking the public to not jump to conclusions about identity when a person has been charged with a crime.
Thunder Bay Police Service issued a statement after arresting 49-year-old John David Cornell with child pornography charges earlier this week.
"At times there are people with the same name and approximate same age in the community. When we post our media releases of a person charged with a criminal offence, we will put out the full name and the age for clarification.
Please do not jump to conclusions about a person until you have confirmed the correct identity. We do not release images of the person who has been charged with an offence. The photos and fingerprints taken under the Identification of Criminals Act clearly states that the photographs can only be used for investigative purposes. This would include police verifying identity of a person, photo lines ups, wanted persons under special circumstances to name a few examples.
We understand that people want things done for a safe community however police have guidelines and laws that must be adhered to."
