2019 Liberal Candidate charged with child porn

Gerry Hawes, a local Liberal Party insider who ran unsuccessfully in Simcoe North in this last federal election, is facing child pornography charges.

May 5, 2020, police executed a search warrant at a residence of Gerry Hawes in Orillia. Following June 11, 2020, Hawes was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography.

The Liberal Party of Canada had no previous knowledge of the charges, local volunteers and the community have been affected and disturbed to hear this, Liberal party spokesperson Matteo Rossi said in a statement, the party takes the matter very seriously.

Gerry Hawes is due to appear in Orillia Ontario Court House on Aug. 25, 2020