Former CCDA executive director facing jail time after guilty plea to accessing child pornography

A former executive director of a downtown business association will be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to accessing child pornography before his trial was set to begin.

Wayne Smith, 66, was charged in June 2019 with one count each of possessing and accessing child pornography.

A trial was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Feb. 17, but the matter was dealt with at docket court one day earlier when the guilty plea on the single charge was entered.

The News requested more detailed information from court clerks on Feb. 16, but has not yet been provided with related documents that require a release order from the presiding judge.

Attempts to contact Smith were unsuccessful.

A summary conviction for accessing child pornography carries with it a minimum sentence of six months and maximum of two years, though under certain conditions a sentence can be served as “house arrest” in the community with strict conditions.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place March 15 at Medicine Hat Provincial Court.

The offence allegedly took place in late 2018, about two years after he parted ways with the City Centre Development Agency, where we had been executive director since 2012.

Current management of the CCDA have previously stated they have no comment on the matter that occurred after Smith’s tenure ended.