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A Winnipeg scientist who has previously worked with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) has been charged with child pornography related offences.

Trevor James Pemberton, who is also an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba’s Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, was charged Monday.

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Police launched the investigation after an outside law enforcement agency alerted the Internet Child Exploitation Unit that a suspect with a Winnipeg IP address was allegedly sharing images of child pornography.

The home attached to the IP address was searched and on July 9 Pemberton was charged with:

possession of child pornography

import, distribute, sell or possess for the purpose of distribution or sale of any child pornography

After being alerted from an outside law enforcement agency that a suspect with a Winnipeg IP address was sharing images of Child Pornography, our ICE Unit began an investigation. Trevor PEMBERTON, 39, has been charged with sexual imagery related offences.https://t.co/bVm7dtnjtF — Winnipeg Police (@wpgpolice) July 10, 2018

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In an email, a CHRIM spokesperson said Pemberton did not have an interaction with children at the institute and is not affiliated with the Children’s Hospital at HSC.

“The individual is an external collaborator with the Institute and membership has been suspended pending legal proceedings,” the statement read.

“He did not hold a clinical position and did not work on site at CHRIM, thus had no interaction with children participating in studies at our institute.” Tweet This

According to the CHRIM website, Pemberton was given an operating grant in 2016 to work on the “Identification of a modifier locus for cystic kidney disease in the rat.”

The University of Manitoba also commented on the case, saying on Tuesday that Pemberton has been placed on leave pending a review and has been told not to contact staff or students.

The 39 year-old remains in custody.