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Munton pleads not guilty to child porn charges

Vernon man facing charges of making child pornography and possession
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A Vernon man has pleaded not guilty to two counts of making child pornography and one count of possession of child porn.

William Murray Phelps Munton, born in 1961, entered the pleas in the Supreme Court of B.C. at the Vernon Courthouse Monday morning.

He will be tried by judge alone, in this case the matter is being heard by Madame Justice Hope Hyslop.

The alleged offences took place between May 2011 and June 2016.

Munton is a former Salmon Arm teacher who is also facing numerous charges in relation to arson in 2014. The arson matters will be heard in a separate trial.

Crown lawyer Jeremy Guild said evidence was seized by RCMP with search warrants from Munton’s home and cell phone.

Defence lawyer Julian van der Walle made a charter application to exclude that evidence, questioning the validity of the search warrants.

The matter was being heard by Hyslop under a voir dire, which is like a trial within a trial, to determine if the evidence is admissible.

Hyslop also issued a publication ban on proceedings that could identify witnesses.

Munton sat in the prisoner’s box, wearing a green, short-sleeve button-up shirt and grey pants.

The trial is expected to last four days.