(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)

KELOWNA – The first wife of a former Vernon RCMP officer charged with child porn described him as a confrontational man who often raised his voice.

Jennifer Fisher and Ryan Hampton’s marriage officially ended in 2011, the same year he married his accuser, Valerie Little. Little, herself a member of the RCMP, told police she caught him searching for child porn on the internet and then eventually found more than 60 pictures and videos of child pornography she says he downloaded and saved.

Hampton's lawyer says Little is framing him for custody of their three children and their family home.

Fisher testified today, July 20, that on May 5, 2013, the day Hampton’s then-current wife Valerie Little turned over the drive, Hampton called her to pick up their two sons, ages eight and ten, earlier than planned.

“He said he quit his job and needed me to come pick the boys up right away,” she said.

Hampton didn't actually quit his job but he just found out he was about to be investigated.

Fisher arrived at the home he shared with Little, who was pregnant, and their two young children. Hampton was standing on the porch when their youngest son came running outside. He was crying.

“He (Hampton) just seemed defeated,” she said. “His whole demeanor was defeated. He wasn’t yelling like he usually did. He wasn’t raising his voice. He wasn’t his usual confrontational self.”

Fisher says Hampton then told her to contact a lawyer and have papers drawn up, but didn’t explain further.

“I was assuming it was to do with the boys,” she says. “I was trying to get out of there as fast as I could.”

After Fisher and their sons left, Hampton surrendered his duty belt, firearm and badge. He would resign from the RCMP some time later.

Sporting a fresh shave and clean jumpsuit, Hampton refused to meet Fisher’s gaze as she passed the prisoners box on her way out of the courtroom.

Hampton has pleaded not guilty to counts of possessing and accessing child pornography, six counts of breach of undertaking for contacting Little when ordered not to, and one count of attempting to obstruct justice by telling her not to contact police.

Since late last week his trial has been occasionally put on hold while Justice Barry Davies determines if statements Hampton made to Sgt. Michael Buxton-Carr immediately after Little turned in the drive are admissible. At issue is whether or not Hampton's Charter rights were violated since, as a police officer, he is required to answer questions posed to him by a superior officer.

On the second day of trial Buxton-Carr testified Hampton told him he left the images on the drive for Little to find. Crown alleges that’s not what he said and that he was unable to request legal counsel until after he had already spoken with Buxton-Carr, his watch commander that day.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2015