Harrison Zolnierczyk '11, a forward on the men's ice hockey team, is facing charges in Canada in connection with accusations that he produced, recorded and distributed a pornographic video involving a teenage girl on YouTube, the Providence Journal and Canwest News Service, a Canadian wire service, have reported.
In a written statement, the University said Zolnierczyk will not participate on the men's hockey team this season. He will remain enrolled at the University, the statement said.
Zolnierczyk has "been forced to withdraw from the hockey team, the team he loves playing on," his Vancouver-based lawyer, Richard Fowler, told The Herald.
Zolnierczyk last played in a game against St. Lawrence University on Feb. 16 at Meehan Auditorium. He has appeared in 16 games this season.
He is facing charges of voyeurism and production, possession and distribution of child pornography in Port Alberni Provincial Court in British Columbia, Canwest News Service reported.
"He is presumed innocent, and they're merely allegations," Fowler told The Herald. "He's a great student, and people should rally around to support him. He doesn't pose a risk to anybody."
"Harry is an extremely good young man," Fowler continued. "Otherwise he would have never (been) admitted to that university, and the charges do not in any way take away from that, and people should give him the benefit of the doubt."
Zolnierczyk will appear before a judge on March 13 to enter a plea for the alleged fall 2006 creation of the tape, according to Canwest.
Bradley Harding, Zolnierczyk's co-accused and former teammate on the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, has entered a guilty plea to two voyeurism charges and is awaiting sentencing, the Journal reported Thursday.
Zolnierczyk and officials from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police could not immediately be reached for comment.
Cpl. Rob Foster of the Mounted Police told the Journal that the Canadian legal system does not distinguish between felonies and misdemeanors as the American system does, but that the charges potentially carry jail time.
