A man and women arrested this week in Toronto and charged with weapons and other offences in connection with security operations for the G20 summit are being described as a happy couple who've been together for several years.

Byron Sonne and his common-law wife, Kristen Peterson, remain in custody until a bail hearing scheduled for Saturday.

Peterson, 37, was arrested Thursday and appeared briefly in provincial court in Toronto before the hearing was adjourned. She is charged with possession of an explosive device and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Sonne, also 37, an internet security expert, is charged with possession of explosives and dangerous weapons, intimidating a justice system participant, mischief and other offences.

He was arrested Wednesday as a result of a police search conducted at the couple's home in Toronto's wealthy Forest Hill neighbourhood on Tuesday.

The Globe and Mail newspaper reported that police also searched properties in Tiny Township and Lake of Bays as part of their investigation.

In court Thursday, a tall, dark-haired Peterson looked straight ahead as she walked to the back of the courtroom after her hearing was adjourned.

Few details of the case have been released and a publication ban has been placed on all court hearings. Police will only say the case relates to G20 summit security.

Sonne planned to test security, peers say

Sonne's friends and acquaintances from the internet security field have been in touch among themselves since news broke of Sonne's arrest.

Sonne's former boss, Mike Murray, said he kept in contact with his former employee after they stopped working together and described the couple as happy.

"They had been together quite a while when I met him in 2003," Murray said.

"I feel really bad for them. I can't imagine how scary this must be for both Byron and Kristen."

Murray said Peterson is an artist who comes from a wealthy background.

"I don't know what her parents did," he said. "I think her dad was an executive at some large company."

According to a resumé she posted online, Peterson has a master's degree from the University of Toronto and has exhibited her work at many Toronto galleries.

A woman who wished to remain anonymous said she volunteers with Peterson at the Art Gallery of Ontario. A gallery spokeswoman, Antonietta Mirabelli, refused to comment on personnel issues, saying gallery administrators are also in the "information-gathering stage."

One person who knows Sonne has said he hopes the situation is just a misunderstanding.

Technology expert Jesse Hirsh said he spent a couple of hours with Sonne in early May at a Toronto meeting of the Surveillance Club, an informal group of people interested in discussing research in the area of surveillance.

At the meeting, Sonne spoke for about a half-hour and outlined his plan to listen in on police communications at the summit, Hirsh has said.

Hirsh said Sonne was critical of the $1 billion in security spending for the G8 and G20 summits and wanted to hold security forces accountable by documenting and allowing the public to see and understand where money was being spent.