Canadian Prosecutor: Age Difference Sparked Matheson Laptop Search

Images, video and stories of boys engaged in sex acts were discovered in Robert Matheson's computer on an October trip to Canada after authorities noticed the decades-wide age gap between the Sierra Madre resident and his male companion, said the to Patch Wednesday morning.

"When he first arrived, he told authorities he was visiting for 10 days. He was asked where he was going, and he said he'd be visiting Pictou [where Matheson owns a home], then maybe Montreal, then head back to the U.S.," said Crown Attorney Craig Botterill. "He was with a young male, and border officers became concerned about the age difference ... here's a 66-year-old man traveling with a 28-year-old. That's what tweaked their curiosity."

The authorities also noticed that Matheson carried a laptop, which then led to the search and discovery of the material -- some of the most disturbing, Botterill said, being

The laptop search is actually quite common with Canadian authorities, Botterill said, who are on higher alert for child porn especially after the 2009 arrest of Raymond Lahey in Ontario. Lahey was a Catholic bishop who had hundreds of images of teen boys on his laptop.

Matheson admitted to the material on his laptop, but so far investigators don't believe he had any part in actually producing any of it.

"This all appears to be stuff that was downloaded from the Internet. There's a great deal of background that can be found, such as what kind of camera was used, but there was nothing in this case to suggest that he had any hand in making it," Botterill said.

"It's difficult to determine the age range [of the boys in the images and videos]--it was various, from 14 to 18. The definition for child pornography in Canada includes anyone under the age of 18," Botterill added. "He wanted to get it over with and plead guilty."

and those results could determine what happens to Matheson once his 108-day sentence in Canada ends, Botterill said.

"From our point of view, once it ends, he'll be escorted by authorities to the airport. At that point, the plane could land anywhere and Homeland Security agents could be there to pick him up."

The Sierra Madre Police Department is also  as police investigate any potential related crimes. So far, none has come forward.

Other Matheson stories

Porn Convict Has Sierra Madre Political Ties

U.S. Man, 66, Jailed for Having Child Porn on Laptop

A Few Additional Observations on the Matheson Matter