Remember when Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said in defense of the warrantless search provisions of Bill C-30,

“You’re with us, or the child pornographers”?

I find it rather ironic that, just days before Bill C-30 was officially scrapped, an RCMP member in Newfoundland was arrested and charged with child luring on the internet.

A member of the RCMP has been arrested and charged with child luring over the Internet. A male officer from the Labrador district was arrested Friday and made his first appearance in court Saturday morning.

He was remanded in custody for a bail hearing today in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. A publication ban has been imposed, according to an RCMP news release issued Saturday evening.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is taking the lead in the investigation and has directed all inquiries about the case to the RNC media relations unit.

Police have not released details about where the officer was stationed in Labrador. The Telegram contacted the RNC by email to request those details, along with the age of the accused officer and information on what resources are being deployed by the RNC in Labrador as part of the investigation.

A spokeswoman for the RNC would only say that “(t)he matter is still under investigation at this time.”

What doesn’t surprise me at all is that the RCMP is making sure nobody knows the name of the arrested RCMP member… a “courtesy” not afforded to those arrested for the same crime but who don’t wear the coveted yellow stripe down their leg.

A case in point is Chilliwack teacher Michael Todd Paice, whose name was made public by the RCMP immediately after he was arrested and charged with the same crime as this unnamed (and protected) RCMP member.

As usual, there is one standard for “mere citizens” and another for those who wear the Red Serge.

No wonder Canadians’ faith in the RCMP continues to plummet…