Former Barriere fire chief, guilty of possessing child porn, gets to see young family at Christmas

A former Barriere fire chief convicted of possessing child pornography had a condition on his probation changed earlier this week so he can visit young family members through the holidays.

Allan Kenneth Kirkwood, born 1954, made an appearance in Kamloops provincial court on Dec. 17 seeking a variation of a condition to not be around children.

Kirkwood was sentenced in January 2018 to seven months in jail after pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He also received an 18-month probation order and was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

One condition on his probation prohibited Kirkwood from from any contact with a person under the age of 16 unless he was under the supervision of a person whom the courts considered appropriate.

On Tuesday, Provincial Court Judge Marianne Armstrong varied Kirkwood’s order to allow him to spend time with young family members under the supervision of five other family members, according to court documents.

The allegations against Kirkwood came to light after an RCMP investigation. Kirkwood was arrested in Barriere on Oct. 8, 2016.

Kirkwood also worked as the publisher of the North Thompson Star Journal.

For past stories on this case, go here. 

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