A 32-year-old man, who serves on the Gravenhurst Fire Department, has been arrested and charged following a 10-month child Internet luring investigation.

The investigation involved members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Child Pornography Section, OPP Bracebridge Detachment and the Muskoka OPP Crime Unit, with assistance from the Vancouver Internet Child Exploitation Unit.

On Tuesday, April 8, police executed a search warrant at a Gravenhurst residence and seized one computer system and over 300 CD-ROMs that police say contain images of child sexual abuse and suspected evidence of Internet luring of a child.

Tarig “Ty” Bur of Gravenhurst was arrested by police the same day.

Bur has been charged with one count of luring a child, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. The accused utilized the online user name of TyMaster30, said a police release.

Gravenhurst deputy fire chief John Black confirmed that Bur is a member of the volunteer fire department and has voluntarily taken a leave pending resolution of the charges.

He said the department’s rules are such that criminal code charges result in suspension, and possible dismissal upon conviction. Black said this situation has never happened before at the department, however firefighters have faced criminal charges in the past and the same policy has been followed.

“We’re trying to be fair to the accused, but at the same time be sensitive to the community,” he said.

Black presented the OPP media release to firefighters at a regular training session Wednesday night.

“The other firefighters were very shocked and very hurt,” he said. “At the same time, some of them were quite angry.”

The accused is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge on April 11. The investigation is continuing.