Bill Surkis, the former Quebec regional director for B'nai Brith, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

It's a stunning reversal for the well-respected member of Montreal's Jewish community.

Surkis, 70, was Academic Dean of John Abbott College for 22 years, in addition to being the regional director for the Jewish-rights group B'nai Brith.

In court on Wednesday morning, Surkis pleaded guilty to one count of accessing child pornography, and another count of possession of child pornography.

A charge of distributing child pornography was dropped.

Surkis was arrested in May 2009 and charged with counts of accessing and possessing child pornography.

The material was discovered in 2008, when Surkis brought his malfunctioning computer in for repair, and a virus check turned up numerous video and photos of child porn.

In all more Surkis's computer contained 86 videos totalling more than eight hours of video files, and 153 photos of children between the ages of six and 14 being sexually abused.

Surkis had originally planned to plead not guilty, saying he had downloaded the illicit material for a presentation on child abuse.

However prosecutor Cynthia Gyenizse never bought that argument.

"From the inquiry the police made, he was in possession and had access to it, and he accepted to plead guilty to it," said Gyenizse.

Institutions cut off ties



Surkis's fall from grace was abrupt.

All the institutions and organizations he worked for in the past have been quick to distance themselves from the former educator.

John Abbott College, where he worked for 22 years, said they have had little contact with Surkis since he left in 1991.

B'nai Brith said they no longer have any ties with Surkis, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum, where he was board chairman, has cut off all ties.

Since 2008 possession of child pornography comes with a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 days in jail, but Can be penalized by up to 10 years in prison..

The crown will also ask for a psychological and sexual evaluation of Surkis.

He remains free on bail until his sentencing hearing in September.