A U.S. man described in court by prosecutors as an international religious missionary is facing 20 months in a Manitoba jail for bringing an "overwhelming" amount of child pornography into Canada.

Ronald William White, 25, has already pleaded guilty to a single charge of importing the illegal material.

He has been in jail since his arrest on Feb.14 and appeared before provincial court Judge Michel Chartier on Wednesday for a sentencing hearing. Chartier reserved his decision until later this month.

White was arrested at the James Richardson International airport in Winnipeg, having flown from his hometown of Stafford, Virg.

Crown attorney Terry McComb told court border guards became suspicious of White because he had no return ticket.

White said he was coming to Winnipeg to meet for the first time a woman he had met on the Internet.

A cursory look at his belongings revealed evidence White had child pornography on his laptop, and Winnipeg police were called to investigate further, McComb said.

McComb said a full search of his laptop and a memory stick revealed "an overwhelming" amount of child pornography and other suggestive material.

Nearly 5,000 images of child pornography, depicting young boys and in some instances, infants in a range of sexual poses were seized.

Police also discovered more than 10,000 images depicting child nudity that didn't fall inside the reach of Canada's Criminal Code.

Some of the nude, but not criminally pornographic, images were "images [White] had taken with the boys in their homes with their families," McComb said, adding he had visited 11 countries in less than five years.

When police asked him if it was possible he knew any of the boys in the pictures, McComb said he told them, "I guess it depends on interpretation."

Investigators got in touch with White's mother, who told police he was "a missionary" who travelled the world teaching religion to children. His Winnipeg girlfriend also confirmed this, McComb said.

The Crown asked Chartier to keep White locked up at the Headingley Correctional Centre for another eight months to force him into a sex-offender treatment program.

'I'm not going to say I'm sorry as if it makes it all better'—Ronald White

White will be deported and placed in the custody of U.S. authorities after he finishes serving his sentence. Warrants are outstanding there for three felony counts of possession of child pornography seized from his home.

"Canada … has a responsibility to ensure he's returned treated and deterred," McComb said.

Restraint urged: defence

Lawyer Ted Mariash said White "feels ashamed" of what's happened, and urged Chartier to use restraint when sentencing him. White has been in maximum-security segregation for his own protection while on remand waiting to deal with the charge.

"Every one of these days [in jail], in his own words, has been a living hell to him," Mariash said in asking for a sentence of time served.

There was no dispute that White will receive double-time credit for the more than six months he's already been in jail.

Mariash said it would be unfair for the courts to hand him more jail time, when other child pornography offenders receive lesser sentences simply because they're Canadian and have greater access to local resources to prepare to defend themselves in court.

White had applied for bail in March, but abruptly cancelled the hearing just prior to prosecutors showing a judge evidence of what was discovered on his computer equipment.

Mariash drew a comparison to the sentencing of former Winnipeg Blue Bombers president Dr. Ross Brown, who was handed 45 days in jail last week for possession of nearly 5,000 images of child pornography.

The Crown told court an administrative bungle forced justice officials to strike a deal with Brown.

The prosecutor said Brown likely had a strong argument that his Charter of Rights and Freedoms had been violated by a nearly three-year delay in disclosing evidence and getting the case ready for court.

In White's case, he's being persecuted because he's an American with no ties to the local community, Mariash said.

"The only thing that separates Mr. White from Mr. Brown is that Mr. White brought his images on a plane to Canada," he said.

No apology

White addressed the court to correct what he said were a number of mistakes made during the hearing.

"Accuracy is important to me," the heavy-set White said with a slight southern drawl.

White said he never has been employed as a missionary, and took issue with McComb saying he had once been employed in Sweden looking after children.

"I have never, in any way, acted as a nanny … I have never been a nanny anywhere," White said.

He also said the Crown's suggestion he has no remorse is completely wrong, saying he told a probation officer he's been "overcome with regret."

"But I refused to say that I'm sorry … that sounds disingenuous and pathetic," White said.

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry as if it makes it all better," he added.