MONTREAL – The 14 men who allegedly exchanged tips on ways to sexually abuse children will remain behind bars until at least Thursday, when some of them may be freed while awaiting trial.
A bail hearing scheduled Tuesday in Montreal was put off and the Crown said it will verify whether some of the men can provide the guarantees it is seeking before it agrees to their release.
One of the conditions the Crown is looking at is the distance between the accused’s residences and nearby schools.
READ MORE: Quebec provincial police uncover province-wide pedophile ring
One of the accused, already detained in another matter when arrested on the child pornography charges, renounced his right to a bail hearing and will remain behind bars until the end of the case.
Thirteen of the men were arraigned in Montreal last Thursday after a three year investigation.
A fourteenth was arrested over the weekend.
READ MORE: 13 men arraigned in Montreal on charges of child pornography
The charges include possession and distribution of child pornography relate to incidents that allegedly took place between Jan. 1, 2003, and Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, when all 13 were arrested.
* with files from The Canadian Press.