U of T prof faces five charges in child porn investigation

TORONTO – A 61-year-old University of Toronto professor has been arrested and charged in connection to a child exploitation investigation, the university has confirmed.

Police say a joint online, multi-jurisdictional investigation involving Toronto Police Service’s Sex Crimes Unit executed a warrant at a residence in the Lawrence Avenue West and Avenue Road area.

Benjamin Levin faces two counts of distributing child pornography, one count of making child pornography, counselling to commit an indictable offence and agreement or arrangement to sexual offence against a child under 16.

Levin was also a member of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s transition advisory team.

Wynne’s office says the accused last met with the premier on June 12 when she thanked him and other members of the transition team for their work on the campaign that saw her selected to replace outgoing premier Dalton McGuinty.

The Ontario government released a statement Monday afternoon confirming that Levin had recently been working on contract research projects and guest speaking roles with the Ministry of Education. Those contracts however have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

Levin is a native of Winnipeg who holds a B.A.  from the University of Manitoba, an Ed. M. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from OISE., according to his U of T biography page.

He is also a Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at U of T.

The London Police Service and the Censorship and Electronic Messaging Compliance Unit Department of Internal Affairs in New Zealand also took part in the investigation.

The accused is scheduled to appear in court Monday at 2 p.m.

-With a file from The Canadian Press