Cop makes bail in child porn case

Colleagues surprised by arrest, but source says evidence against Peel officer is ‘significant’

As his years on the force racked up, Det. Craig Wattier, a burly cop from Brampton, worked his way through prestigious positions within Peel Regional Police, earning a police award for exemplary service and promotions in rank along the way.

During his 30-year career, he ran the major collision bureau, went undercover with Peel’s intelligence bu- reau and served as a detective on the force’s Special Victims Unit, an assignment that includes investigating sex crimes against children.

Most recently, he was the officer in charge of Peel’s technological crime unit, which specializes in pulling video or photo data from phones, computers and other devices during criminal investigations.

But Wattier’s career began to unravel this spring, when a complaint launched against the officer spawned an investigation by Peel’s internal affairs bureau in April. One month later, Wattier, 50, was suspended.

The veteran officer had become the sub- ject of the kind of investigations he once conducted, a probe that culminated this week in his Wattier’s arrest. On Thursday, one day after he was arrested by his colleagues, Wattier appeared in court on charges of child pornography and fraud.

According to one Peel police source with knowledge of the investigation, “the evidence against him is significant.”

Such serious charges against a veteran officer have rocked the province’s second largest municipal police force, surprising and angering many in Peel’s rank and file and prompting a wide-ranging internal probe of Wattier’s cases.

“Peel police will be conducting a com- prehensive review of the cases that he’s been involved in, in conjunction with the Peel Crown attorney’s office,” Staff Sgt. Dan Richardson said Thursday.

Paul Black, president of Peel’s police union, said the association is “very concerned” about the allegations, as it is any time an officer is facing serious criminal charges.

“Criminal allegations against a police officer affects all our members and places strain on the strong support we have amongst the general public,” Black said in a statement to the Star.

Appearing in court Thursday in a bright blue shirt, in front of members of his family including his wife, Wattier was stoic as he was granted an $8,000 bail.

His release comes with strict conditions, including a ban on using computers and devices that can access the Internet, and on possessing data storage devices.

Wattier is also barred from visiting public spaces where children under 16 might be.

Wattier’s wife, who served as his surety, was “visibly shaken and concerned” said the judge, after Crown counsel listed off her husband’s charges: accessing child pornography, possessing child pornography, breach of trust and two counts of fraud over $5,000.

Wattier left the courthouse shortly after, saying nothing to a swarm of reporters waiting outside and shield- ing his face as he was driven away.

A publication ban was placed on evidence discussed at his appearance, but court documents show Wattier is alleged to have accessed and possessed “graphic computer files” involving child pornography during a two-year period ending in May.

One of the fraud offences is alleged to have spanned more than a decade, beginning in 2004 until May 2015.

During that period of time, Wattier was promoted to sergeant and received recognition for “exemplary service.”

In 1994, Wattier was also commended for his involvement with “Project Quest,” an undercover operation into a series of tractor-trailer thefts.

In a rare move on Wednesday night, in a press release announcing the charges against Wattier, Peel police Chief Jennifer Evans issued a statement saying she takes the allegations “very seriously.”

“The officer has been suspended with pay in accordance with the current legislation under the Police Services Act,” Evans said.

“As a police service, there will be difficult days ahead, but these allegations should not detract from the great work that is done on a daily basis by the other members of this police service.”

Wattier is due back in court next month.