Computer expert Brian Brown, 45, was arrested by Ontario Provincial Police and York Regional Police, north of Toronto, in May 2006, after images of child pornography were allegedly found on his home computer.

His trial was set to begin May 20.

In an interview with the Toronto Star at his lawyers' office, Brown said he had been working with the Toronto force since the early 1990s on developing systems to snare and identify online pornography users.

"I'm not a pedophile," he said. "I was a person who was trying to help and it went horribly wrong."

The two arresting forces said they had had talks with the Toronto force, but wouldn't say what transpired.

Because of bail conditions that he couldn't use a computer without adult supervision, he lost his job as a systems architect. He was also ordered to live with his parents and isn't allowed contact with his teenage daughter, the Star said.