Saskatchewan Mountie pleads not guilty to child pornography charges

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – A Saskatchewan Mountie has pleaded not guilty to charges of accessing and possessing child pornography. Const. Aiden Arthur Pratchett, 31, was charged on Dec. 22, 2014 following an investigation by the Saskatchewan Internet Child Explotation (ICE) unit.

A lawyer for Pratchett entered the plea yesterday during a court hearing in Prince Albert. There will not be a preliminary hearing and the officer’s trial is set to start Oct. 5 in Prince Albert.

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The accused had been serving in Fond du Lac when he was charged last month following an investigation that started in the fall. Officers had been conducting an internal investigation into file sharing when they identified a fellow Mountie as a suspect.

READ MORE: Saskatchewan RCMP constable facing child pornography charges

Pratchett is currently suspended with pay. He has been with the force since April 2010 and previously served in Porcupine Plain.

With files from The Canadian Press