SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A 49-year-old Fort Smith man recently charged with voyeurism is alleged to have surreptitiously videotaped people - both adults and children - in his own home.

"Voyeurism by definition in the Criminal Code is basically anybody that has been videotaped on camera with the expectation of privacy," said Cpl. Scott Young of the Fort Smith RCMP.

Young said such instances of expecting privacy would include when a person showers or goes to the bathroom.

"One would have an expectation of privacy going to the bathroom in a public place or even at one's home, for example," he said.

The accused faces four separate charges of voyeurism.

"I'll go as far as to say the victims have not been members of the general public," Young said.

The accused is also facing a charge of possession of child pornography.

The charges were announced by the RCMP on Oct. 29. Police have not released the name of the accused.

Young explained that is to protect the identities of the victims because of the circumstances and nature of the charges.

The charge of possession of child pornography involves images from the Internet.

The investigation that led to the charges began about eight months ago.

"Basically, we executed a search warrant back in March of this year where a number of computer items and computer equipment had been seized," Young said. "Obviously, we don't have the technology, nor the resources, nor the expertise here to examine and analyze that equipment, so it had to be sent off to a forensics lab in Edmonton.

The seized equipment included two computer towers, software and 25 hard drives.

"There was lots of equipment and material to go through," Young said, although he declined to say how many images and videos were found.

The investigation was launched after police received information from a member of the general public.

The accused will make a first appearance in Fort Smith Territorial Court on Jan. 10, 2011.

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