An Abbotsford man charged with two child pornography offences has been found not criminally responsible (NCR) due to a mental disorder.
The decision involving Travis Michael Butler, 40, was made May 9 in Abbotsford provincial court.
Butler was initially charged with three offences – two counts of importing/distributing child porn and one count of possessing child porn – but one of the distribution charges was later dropped.
Butler was charged in October 2017 after an investigation that began the previous year involving both Canadian and American law enforcement.
A search warrant was executed at Butler’s home in Abbotsford, and numerous computers and data-storage devices were seized, police said at the time.
They said the evidence revealed thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
A NCR ruling means that the judge believes that Butler did not have the capacity to appreciate his actions and know right from wrong at the time of the offence.
Individuals who receive such a ruling fall under the mandate of the BC Review Board, which conducts an assessment to determine whether they should be detained in a hospital, discharged in the community under certain conditions, or discharged without any conditions.
The first hearing following an NCR ruling must be conducted within 45 days of the verdict.
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