Canada

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

William Kokesch is shown in this undated police handout photo. A Montreal deacon has been accused of producing and distributing child pornography a day after police say they seized 2,000 images from his home. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Service de police de la Ville de Montreal

A Montreal deacon is being accused of producing and distributing child pornography a day after police say they seized 2,000 images from his home.

William Kokesch, 65, was charged Saturday via video link at the Montreal courthouse. Investigators say they searched his home and arrested him a day earlier.

Montreal police Const. Dany Richer said Kokesch will remain in jail until Monday when he's scheduled to again appear in court to face the allegations against him.

Kokesch was a deacon for a church in Beaconsfield, a suburb on Montreal's West Island.

Koesch is listed as a communications director for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. He helped coordinate World Youth Day conferences in Toronto, Rome and Paris, according to the organization's website.

The Archdiocese of Montreal issued a statement late Saturday saying they had removed Kokesch from all pastoral activity. The organization said its thoughts were with the alleged victims of child pornography.

"We wish to assure all those concerned by this event that we are keeping them in our prayers, and we urge everyone to have confidence in and respect for the judicial process and to await its conclusions," the statement said.