Ex-Cornwall cop sentenced 30 more days for contempt 

Toronto Star 

Sep 04, 2008 04:30 AM  

Emily Mathieu

Former police officer Perry Dunlop, whose allegations of a pedophile ring sparked an investigation in Cornwall, Ont., was sentenced to 30 more days in prison yesterday for criminal contempt over his defiance of a court order to testify at a public inquiry.

"I think the judgment of the court was imminently fair and well-reasoned ... hopefully Mr. Dunlop will serve the sentence and get on with his life," said acting Crown attorney David Humphrey outside court.

Dunlop has already spent six months behind bars for civil contempt for refusing to testify at the inquiry. That sentence concludes today. The Crown had asked for a sentence of three to six months, taking into account time served and mitigating factors, including that Dunlop has served his time in isolation for his own protection.

Dunlop's repeated refusals to testify and comply with court orders demanded a sentence to act as a deterrent, Humphrey said.

In the early 1990s, Dunlop was an officer with the Cornwall Police Department when he started an independent investigation into what he alleged was a widespread pedophile ring involving leading businessmen, politicians and prominent members of the clergy.

The allegations resulted in an official investigation, dubbed "Project Truth," which resulted in about 115 charges against 15 people. Only one was convicted. Dunlop was called to testify at the public inquiry in Cornwall, launched in 2006, but refused. He was arrested in February at his home in B.C. after refusing an offer to turn himself in.