Scammer
Banned
A York University research fellow who killed himself after being charged with child pornography offences likely couldn't live with his tarnished image, a colleague says.
Police said Richard Dyde, 47, committed suicide Thursday, one day after his arrest was made public.
Stephane Rainville, a neuroscientist and consultant in Ottawa, said he had known Dyde since 2002. He was shocked to hear about Dyde's death and the charges he was facing.
"He had a fairly high public profile. He was involved in experiments that were sent to the International Space Station," Rainville said in a telephone interview on Friday.
Dyde was a dynamic, gregarious person with many friends, he said.
News that he had been arrested on charges of making, possessing and making child pornography available would likely have been too much to bear, Rainville said.
"I can't imagine he could have, I guess, lived with it. It would have been devastating to his social circle."
Rainville said the allegations against Dyde, whom he had attended several conferences with, don't jibe at all with the witty, engaging man he knew who enjoyed playing volleyball on the beach.
Born in England, Dyde, who was married, came to Canada in 2001. He was part of a York University research team designing experiments for NASA to explore the effect of zero gravity on astronauts in space.
Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk conducted one of the experiments devised by the York University team that included Dyde during his six-month stay on the space station in 2009, according to the Canadian Space Agency website.
Police announced on Wednesday that Dyde was among 57 men charged in connection with an international child pornography network.
On leave since arrest
York University spokesman Alex Bilyk said Dyde had been on leave from his job at the Toronto-based university since his arrest.
Police have said hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of child pornography images were traded by the network in Canada, the United States and Europe.
The probe into the child pornography network began more than a year ago in Conception Bay South, N.L., when authorities found Anglican priest Robin Barrett trading child abuse images and videos online.
Barrett, 51, was convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography and received a 2½-year sentence in September.
Police said 25 children victimized by the network were rescued, including a dozen in Canada, during the year-long investigation known as Project Sanctuary.
Those arrested included 25 Canadians, 26 Americans and six Europeans. Together, the 57 men faced 218 charges.
Police said Richard Dyde, 47, committed suicide Thursday, one day after his arrest was made public.
Stephane Rainville, a neuroscientist and consultant in Ottawa, said he had known Dyde since 2002. He was shocked to hear about Dyde's death and the charges he was facing.
"He had a fairly high public profile. He was involved in experiments that were sent to the International Space Station," Rainville said in a telephone interview on Friday.
Dyde was a dynamic, gregarious person with many friends, he said.
News that he had been arrested on charges of making, possessing and making child pornography available would likely have been too much to bear, Rainville said.
"I can't imagine he could have, I guess, lived with it. It would have been devastating to his social circle."
Rainville said the allegations against Dyde, whom he had attended several conferences with, don't jibe at all with the witty, engaging man he knew who enjoyed playing volleyball on the beach.
Born in England, Dyde, who was married, came to Canada in 2001. He was part of a York University research team designing experiments for NASA to explore the effect of zero gravity on astronauts in space.
Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk conducted one of the experiments devised by the York University team that included Dyde during his six-month stay on the space station in 2009, according to the Canadian Space Agency website.
Police announced on Wednesday that Dyde was among 57 men charged in connection with an international child pornography network.
On leave since arrest
York University spokesman Alex Bilyk said Dyde had been on leave from his job at the Toronto-based university since his arrest.
Police have said hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of child pornography images were traded by the network in Canada, the United States and Europe.
The probe into the child pornography network began more than a year ago in Conception Bay South, N.L., when authorities found Anglican priest Robin Barrett trading child abuse images and videos online.
Barrett, 51, was convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography and received a 2½-year sentence in September.
Police said 25 children victimized by the network were rescued, including a dozen in Canada, during the year-long investigation known as Project Sanctuary.
Those arrested included 25 Canadians, 26 Americans and six Europeans. Together, the 57 men faced 218 charges.