Canadian archer facing child porn charges
Burnes finished 63rd in his event at Beijing Olympics last summer
Last Updated: Thursday, February 12, 2009 | 2:41 PM ET
CBC Sports
Olympic archer John David Burnes, shown in his Aug. 25, 2008, photo with his mother Mary Ann Badali, is studying for a career in medicine. (J.P. Moczulski/Canadian Press)Canadian archer John David Burnes, who placed 63rd in his event at last summer's Beijing Olympics, was charged with child pornography offences on Thursday.
Burnes, 20, was arrested as part of an Ontario-wide child pornography sweep last week that resulted in 93 charges against 31 people.
The charges against Burnes, a Toronto native, include one count each of possession of child pornography and one count of making available child pornography.
Joan McDonald, coach of Canada's archery team, said she learned of the charges from the media.
"They called me and asked me the question, and I called his parents," said McDonald, who added that the archer's parents confirmed the charges.
She called the situation a tragedy, adding, "It's always a tragedy when young people are in trouble."
To her knowledge, Burnes will continue with archery, McDonald added.
Burnes's next court appearance is May 5 in Kingston, Ont., where he attends Queen's University. He plans to pursue a career in medicine, according to the Canadian Olympic Committee website.
Michael Chambers, president of the COC, called the charges troubling.
"It's disturbing when you hear a charge of that nature is laid against anyone," Chambers said from Whistler, B.C., where he was attending celebrations to mark the one-year 2010 Winter Olympics countdown.
"If a person has been charged, they are presumed innocent until found guilty … I would not want to make any comment on what they may be facing."
Bruce Savage, president of Burnes's archery club, The Archers of Caledon, had no comment when asked about the charges.
Burnes, the youngest member of the Canadian archery squad in Beijing, won an individual bronze medal and team silver medal at the 2007 Canada Winter Games, and won a silver medal in a junior category at the 2006 Canadian Archery Championships.
He has been competing only three years and has little international experience, but shot twice a day in the months leading to the Olympic trials.
Burnes showed little emotion during the tournament until the moment he found out he'd won the third and final position over Hugh MacDonald of Vancouver.
Burnes almost had to pull out of the Olympics two days before the opening ceremony after he was hospitalized with what was first believed to be appendicitis. His condition was downgraded a day later and he was cleared to compete.
With files from the Canadian Press
