Levin gets 3 years on child porn charges

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A man who once was deputy education minister in Ontario and Manitoba has been sentenced to three years behind bars after pleading guilty to three child pornography-related charges.

Benjamin Levin, 63, was originally charged with seven offences. In her decision, Judge Heather McArthur said the father of three, “appeared to have it all” but had a “hidden dark side.”

Court heard Levin used to frequent an online website with numerous chatrooms for the discussion of sexual activities. Among the people he chatted with were an undercover officer in Toronto, one in London, Ontario, and one in New Zealand – all posing as women interested in sexual activities with children.

Toronto Police Detective Janelle Blackadar says “It could be anybody. A doctor, a lawyer, a teacher. A neighbour, anybody who can have a sexual interest in children.”

Crown attorney Allison Dellandrea believes the matter got a fair hearing. “It was apparent from her honour’s very careful and thorough reasons that she carefully considered all the issues involved in this difficult case and arrived at what we consider to be a just result.”

Levin was arrested in July 2013 when a search warrant was executed at his home. He was a university professor at the time.