CHILD-PORN CONTROVERSY HITS POLICE BOARD

Toronto -- The Toronto Police Services Board is set to hold an emergency
private meeting today to discuss an "explosive" police memorandum that was
leaked to the media on Tuesday about Alan Heisey, its new chair.

The private document, written by Detective Sergeant Paul Gillespie, a
sex-crimes investigator, outlined an alleged conversation he had with Mr.
Heisey, who the detective said raised a child-pornography case involving a
teacher at the school Mr. Heisey's son was attending at the time.

In the memo, Det. Sgt. Gillespie states that Mr. Heisey told him that he
hoped the teacher did not go to jail, and that he could understand "how one
could be attracted to the beautiful body of an 8-year-old."

Mr. Heisey said yesterday the alleged comments contained in the memo "have
been taken completely out of context -- if I made them."

The veteran lawyer also denied that he inappropriately asked the police
officer about the status of the child-pornography case. "I didn't make an
inquiry. I expressed an opinion and asked him what he thought," he said in
an interview.

The controversy erupted earlier this week when contents of the September,
2002, memo were first reported by CFTO News.

The police services board met privately last night -- at Mr. Heisey's
request -- but decided after two hours to reconvene the meeting today. The
decision was made to allow the board's deputy chair, Pam McConnell, an
opportunity to attend.

Mr. Heisey wouldn't comment about whether he thought the leaked memo was
part of a smear campaign to get rid of him. He has been a city appointee to
the police services board, the seven-member civilian oversight body, since
2001. While he's only been chair of the board for about one week, he has
already called for a review of the police complaints process.

"I feel terrible for my family. It's scandalous what has happened here.
It's absolutely outrageous. It's pernicious and evil," he said.

Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino has ordered an investigation into how
the memo was leaked to the media.

"I'm disappointed that the memo has become public and I will look into the
matter and take whatever action is necessary," he said in a brief statement.

He also said that he first heard about the memo in 2002 and that he gave it
to then police services chair, Norm Gardner, "to deal with as he felt
necessary." Mr. Gardner was forced to step down as chair last June after it
was alleged that he received a handgun from a local firearms manufacturer.
A public inquiry into that matter is now under way.

According the police memo, which has been obtained by The Globe and Mail,
Det. Sgt. Gillespie wrote on Sept. 23, 2002, that Mr. Heisey approached
himself and Detective Gary Pincher before a banquet at the Colony Hotel
four days earlier. All of the men were attending a police sex-crimes
conference.

Mr. Gillespie wrote that Mr. Heisey mentioned to the men that his son
attended the school where a teacher had been charged with possessing
pornography and that he "hoped" the accused didn't go to jail and "he asked
for my opinion."

Mr. Gillespie later wrote that he said he couldn't talk about the case and
he told Mr. Heisey that "Most people we charge were usually found to be
possession of child pornography involving very young children, and some in
diapers."

To that, Mr. Heisey allegedly commented, "I understand how one could be
attracted to the beautiful young body of an 8-year-old, but not children in
diapers."

The internal memo was sent to Staff Superintendent Rocky Cleveland, who
then e-mailed Mr. Fantino one day later about the alleged conversation.

"I thought I should forward the report to you as it came to me. Heisey is
obviously a different sort," Mr. Cleveland wrote in his e-mail, obtained by
The Globe and Mail. "He has expressed his learned views on the legalization
of marijuana and now this, in my view, bent perspective on child
pornography and paedophiles. What next . . . e benefits of mind expanding
LSD and heroin?"

Mr. Cleveland has since retired from the police force and couldn't be
reached for comment yesterday.

Mr. Gardner said that he never brought the matter to the police services
board in late 2002 because of separate conversations he had with two board
members, Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby and Frances Nunziata.

"There didn't seem to be any interest," he said yesterday, adding both
women "shrugged off" the information contained in the memo.

Mr. Gardner said he then filed the letter and forgot about it. "It was in
my files when I left the office back in June," he said, adding that he had
nothing to do with the information being made public.

Both Ms. Lindsay Luby and Ms. Nunziata deny Mr. Gardner's story that they
had seen the internal police document.

"I would have remembered it if I had seen this memo. It's obviously very
explosive," said Ms. Lindsay Luby. She added that she is suspicious about
the timing of the media leak.

Mayor David Miller didn't want to comment about the memo because he hadn't
seen it, however he agreed with Mr. Fantino that there must be a probe to
find out how it become public. He added it was up to the police services
board to decide Mr. Heisey's fate. "I'm sure the police board will take
appropriate steps. It has to be clear what was said and what was not," Mr.
Miller told reporters. With a report from John Barber and Jennifer Lewington