Ottawa Sun

By TERRI SAUNDERS, Sun Media

Last Updated: 7th October 2009, 6:52am

Lawyer Michael Edelson says reports that former bishop Raymond Lahey is missing are not true. Lahey faces several child porn-related charges. (File photo)

A retired Catholic bishop accused of importing child pornography into Canada will be back in court in Ottawa Thursday.

Bishop Raymond Lahey will appear before a judge seeking variations to two of his bail conditions — where he must live and to which police agency he must report.

Lahey was released from custody last week after he was charged with possession and importation of child pornography. As part of his release conditions, Lahey was required to live at a monastery in Rogersville, N.B., and report weekly to an RCMP detachment in that area.

It’s expected Lahey will ask the court to allow him to reside in Ottawa while awaiting trial, although exactly where he might live is not yet known. The bishop will have to provide an address to the court during the bail variation hearing. At the same time, prosecutors could ask a judge to order Lahey to surrender his passport, an order not included as part of the original release conditions.

In the wake of the charges against Lahey, residents of the tiny community, including Mayor Bertrand Leblanc, said they didn’t want the bishop living in their town while his case makes its way through the court system.

On Tuesday, reports began surfacing in the media that police were looking for Lahey because he hadn’t turned up at the Rogersville monastery. His lawyer said suggestions Lahey, who surrendered to Ottawa police after a warrant was issued for his arrest, was nowhere to be found Tuesday were false.

“I know where he is,” said Michael Edelson. “I’m not going to say where he is but I can say this will all be resolved.”

There were also reports Lahey hadn’t responded to e-mails written to him by Edelson.

“I don’t know where they’re getting that,” said Edelson. “He is under strict conditions not to use a computer and not to access the Internet, so reports about e-mails ... I don’t where that’s coming from.”

Police said Tuesday Lahey was in New Brunswick and it was expected he would report to authorities there on Wednesday as ordered. He was expected to then travel to Ottawa for a court appearance Thursday.

“To this point, he has complied with his conditions,” said Det. Dan Melchiorre, the lead investigator in the case.

terri.saunders@sunmedia.ca