OPP officer accused of accessing, possessing child pornography makes first appearance

Warning: This article contains disturbing details that may be triggering to readers.

A longtime provincial police officer accused of accessing and possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials had his first court appearance addressed Thursday in Bradford.

The court heard Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sgt. Chris Weise has hired Barrie defence lawyer David Wilcox to represent him following his arrest in September.

Weise, 54, who is currently out on bail after being released from custody a day after this arrest, lived in Alliston, where provincial police confirmed he was charged following an investigation by the OPP’s sexual exploitation and digital forensics units.

Police revealed last month that investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Alliston in June and seized several electronic devices. Three months later, Weise was charged with the accessing and possessing the materials. Any evidence heard during Weise’s bail hearing is protected by a publication ban along with the identities of potential witnesses and complainants.

Court documents obtained by CTV News show Weise is accused of accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials in November 2018. He is charged with possessing the materials in June of this year.

CTV News has confirmed Weise was bailed out by a loved one who pledged $3,000 to secure his release. When reached for comment, Weise told CTV News he awaits his day in court.

Weise is described by the OPP as a team leader with the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit out of General Headquarters in Orillia. The police service announced Sgt. Weise has been off work on a paid, unrelated leave. It is unclear when that leave began.

The matter is scheduled to return to a virtual Bradford courtroom early in the new year. The allegations against the accused have not been tested in court.