Saint John Coun. Donnie Snook remains in jail for 1 week

Saint John Coun. Donnie Snook will remain in jail for at least another week after his bail hearing in connection with eight child exploitation charges was adjourned on Monday at his lawyer's request.

Meanwhile, Dennis Boyle, who told the crowded provincial courtroom he needed more time to go over the Crown's material, is questioning whether his client will be able to get a fair trial in Saint John.

"That remains to be seen," Boyle told reporters following Monday afternoon's court appearance, citing the "highly-charged nature of a lot of things."

"It’s always difficult to get an impartial jury, particularly when there’s been so much said ahead," said Boyle.

Snook, 40, was charged last Thursday with three counts of touching a child for a sexual purpose, one count of making child pornography, two counts of distributing child pornography, and two counts of possession.

Police seized computer equipment and child sexual abuse images during a search of Snook's home on Wednesday night, when he was taken into custody, RCMP Cpl. Chantal Farrah has said.

The investigation continues and more charges are possible, said Farrah.

Six of the alleged offences carry a minimum sentence of one year in prison.

Snook, who has been in jail since he was arrested at his home by the RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit last Wednesday, has not yet entered any pleas.

The second-term Saint John councillor will not be entering any pleas at his newly-scheduled bail hearing on Jan. 21 either, his lawyer told reporters. Boyle said he plans to focus on getting Snook released first.

Boyle said he had hoped to proceed with the bail hearing on Monday, but only received the Crown's material at noon, after declining the offer to have the documents sent by fax.

"Not having had enough time with my client to thoroughly review the materials that were going to presented this afternoon, I felt it was in the best interest of fairness and justice to ask for an adjournment," he said.

"It’s a longer time than I would have liked, but I want to be prepared and I want to have my client prepared before we go in."

Asked how Snook is doing at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre, Boyle replied: "Well, what do you think? I mean, who wants to be in a cage?

"But on the other hand, he’s pretty philosophic about the whole thing and I talk to him every day just to keep him calmed down, see how he is, and he’ll be fine."

The onus will be on the Crown to prove that if released, Snook will flee the jurisdiction, somehow interfere with the course of justice, or that the case is of such gravity that a well-informed person of the public would lose confidence in the administration of justice, Boyle said.

Security at the Saint John provincial courthouse was tight for Monday's court appearance, with sheriff's deputies using metal detectors and searching bags of the people who lined up to attend.

Snook appeared tired and gaunt as he sat in the prisoner's box with his head down.

Crown prosecutor Karen Lee Lamrock told the court she plans to call three witnesses and present technical evidence during the bail hearing next week.

Snook will remain under the same conditions, previously imposed by Judge David Walker — not to have any direct or indirect contact with anyone under the age of 16, any witness or any alleged victims.

Snook has been suspended from his position as the director of the Saint John Inner City Youth Ministry.

The investigation, which began in Toronto in 2011, has involved New Brunswick RCMP's Internet Child Exploitation Unit, District 3 RCMP, New Brunswick RCMP Tech Crime Unit, the Saint John Police Force and the Toronto Police Service.