LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — The trial of a southern Alberta man on sex charges involving teen girls has heard that dozens of child porn images were found on cellphones and a computer seized from his home.
Trevor Pritchard of Coaldale faces charges of sexual assault, child luring and possession of child pornography.
His trial by a judge without a jury heard expert testimony Thursday about the images found on the devices.
Ossi Haataja, a forensic expert, testified that he found child porn evidence on three out of ten devices he analyzed.
Defence lawyer William Wister acknowledged the images are child pornography, but says that Pritchard was not in possession of the material.
The Court of Queen’s Bench trial is scheduled to run for three weeks
According to police, two alleged victims came forward after Pritchard was charged in a separate case.
Last April, Pritchard pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault and child luring involving other teens.
It was his fourth conviction for sexually assaulting adolescent girls, which prompted the Crown to seek to have him designated as a dangerous offender.
Pritchard is seeking to withdraw those guilty pleas.
His lawyer has argued that he was not fully aware of the implications of pleading guilty. People designated as dangerous offenders can be kept in jail indefinitely.
The application to withdraw the guilty pleas is to go before another judge in February.
Pritchard’s three prior convictions for sexually assaulting adolescent girls came in 2004, 2009 and 2010.