Yellowknife man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography

A Yellowknife man could be facing up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

Gary Stephen Miller entered his guilty plea on Monday.

Miller was charged last June as part of a nationwide investigation known as Operation Snapshot III. Yellowknife police seized computers and hard drives from his home and his work at the Ekati diamond mine, finding hundreds of images. 

Miller was also charged with making, accessing, and distributing child pornography, but Crown prosecutors say they expect those charges to be dropped upon his conviction. Prosecutors cited the time and resources needed to pursue a conviction as factors in their decision.

Miller is currently free on $10,000 bail. He's not allowed to have contact with anyone under the age of 16, and can't use any data-sharing device, such as computers or smartphones.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19. He faces a minimum six-month sentence for possession of child pornography, up to a maximum of five years.