Canada bishop faces porn charges

Raymond Lahey’s resignation as bishop was accepted by the Pope

A Roman Catholic bishop facing charges of possessing child pornography has turned himself in to Canadian police.

Bishop Raymond Lahey made no comment as he arrived at an Ottawa police station. He was later released on bail.

He had resigned from his position as bishop in the diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, on Saturday.

In August, he oversaw a multi-million dollar settlement over child sex abuse allegations by priests in the diocese dating back to the 1950s.

At the time, he apologised to the victims and their families on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, saying he hoped "to never again have to deal with such reprehensible behaviour".

Prosecutors say the charges of importing and possessing child pornography stem from allegedly pornographic images found during a random search of Bishop Lahey’s laptop by border agents as he returned from a trip abroad.

On Saturday, before news of the charges became public, he announced he was resigning as the bishop in Antigonish for personal reasons and to " take some much-needed time for personal renewal".