Update 2:

Sudbury doctor Ian MacDonald has been granted bail by a Justice of the Peace on Friday after being charged wih multiple child pornography offences.

MacDonald's release comes with a number of conditions, including prohibiting any internet access.

He is a nephrologist at Sudbury's Health Sciences North that has been suspended from practicing at the hospital during the legal process.

A publication ban prohibits CTV News from reporting any details on the evidence in the case.

CTV Northern Ontario's Alana Everson is following the story.

Update:

A Sudbury doctor made a brief appearance in bail court on Thursday after being charged with child pornography offences.

Greater Sudbury police say they seized a computer from Health Sciences North after hospital staff raised concerns and a forensic examination of the computer was conducted.

48-year-old Dr. Ian MacDonald faces a total of nine child pornography related charges including accessing and possession of it.

He remains in custody and will make another appearance in bail court on Friday. 

None of the allegations has been proven in court.

The hospital's communication department says:

"HSN has suspended the privileges of a physician to practice at HSN until completion of legal proceedings. We cannot make any additional comments on this matter so as to not compromise those proceedings."

Original:

In April of 2019, staff at Health Sciences North notified the Greater Sudbury Police Service of concerning activity on a computer located within the hospital.

The Internet Child Exploitation (I.C.E.) Unit and Computer Forensic Unit began an investigation into the matter as it was suspected that Child Pornography was being accessed and possessed on this device. A number of Search Warrants were executed at various locations and a forensic examination was conducted on the computer seized from Health Sciences North. Investigators confirmed that Child Pornography was accessed and located on the computer.

 On May 15, 2019, a 48-year old man from Greater Sudbury was arrested and charged with the following offences:

  • Access Child Pornography x7 – Section 163.1(4.1) of the Criminal Code of Canada
  • Possession of Child Pornography x2 – Section 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code of Canada

The man will be attending Bail Court on May 16, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. to answer to the charges. His name cannot be released at this time as the information has not yet been sworn to through the Court process.

The Greater Sudbury Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit is part of the Ontario Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet which has been made possible by a grant from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

These charges have yet to be proven in a Court of law, and all accused individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.