Head monk at Cape Breton monastery found guilty of voyeurism

The head monk of a monastery in rural Cape Breton has been found guilty of voyeurism after a guest of the abbey said he found a camera on the wall when he was showering.

OnTuesday, Jack Hillie III was sentenced to 60 days in custody at a provincial facility.

This comes after he pleaded guilty to the voyeurism charge this summer.

In November 2021, the plaintiff, Texas man Christopher Longoria, said he visited the Gampo Abbey in Pleasant Bay, N.S., for monastic ordination.

Longoria said he approached Hillie about the camera after he saw it and Hillie admitted that it was his.

According to court records, Hillie's charges stem from offences that occurred between December 2020 and November 2021.

Along with the time in custody, Hillieis also sentenced to 12 months probation, must have his DNA on file with policeand give up his laptop, camera and memory card.

The monastery's operators and its umbrella organization, the Shambhala Canada Society, are also facing a civil suit from Longoria. It claims the defendants knew or ought to have known that intrusions of privacy were occurring at Gampo Abbey and they failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate the risks.

The Shambhala Canada Society has not responded to a request for comment.

Basia Sowinski, of the Halifax-based firm Valent Legal, is representing Longoria in thecivil suit. She said the discovery examination in the case has been scheduled forthe new year.