Montreal firefighter charged with voyeurism, drug trafficking

A Montreal firefighter has been suspended without pay after being arrested and charged with voyeurism and drug trafficking.

The 38-year-old man was arrested by Laval police Thursday morning in front of his colleagues at Station 57 on Pierrefonds Boulevard in the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

He allegedly produced video recordings of several women without their knowledge in Laval and Montreal, including at Station 57.

Laval police spokesperson Const. Erika Landry said evidence was seized at the fire station. She said the investigation began in Laval on Dec. 21.

Once arrested, the firefighter was questioned by sex crimes investigators at Laval police headquarters. He was later charged in court Friday at noon.

The firefighter, who was crying during his court appearance, faces 10 charges, including nine counts of voyeurism and one count of possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking.

Of the nine voyeurism charges, eight relate to identified victims, while the ninth concerns victims yet to be identified.

The prosecution opposed his release, meaning he will remain in custody at least until Monday, when he is set to return to the Laval courthouse.

Guy Lapointe, a division chief with the Montreal fire department, said the firefighter was immediately suspended without pay.

"We have resources available for all the staff at the firehouse where everything went down yesterday to make sure they have access to any kind of psychological help they might require," he said.

"So we're also accompanying our people with this."

On Friday evening, the Montreal firefighters' union, the Association des Pompiers de Montréal, released a statement condemning the allegations against the accused.

In the statement, union president Chris Ross described the case as "sordid and unacceptable."

"These allegations deeply violate the values of respect, mutual aid, support and the protection of individuals that we hold dear and that are fiercely upheld by the association and its 2,400 members," Ross says in the statement.

Ross says the collective agreement includes provisions allowing any union member accused of a criminal offence to receive a full and fair defence, with the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Beyond that, he adds, the association will make no further comments.