A Toronto actor known for his portrayal of a loud Scottish man with mutton-chops has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for possessing and distributing child pornography.
Fourty-year-old Robert Smith appeared in several memorable commercials for the brand, which is owned by Labbatt. In the commercials, he refers to Alexander Keith's beer as "the pride of Nova Scotia," and calls someone who spills beer in a bar a "spilly talker."
The married father of two pleaded guilty in May to three child porn charges. Police raided Smith's home after monitoring his activities from a file-sharing website, and found more than 1,100 child porn files on two computers and 14 CDs.
Some of the images involve children as young as 12, and are extremely graphic in nature, police told reporters.
Brewery Labatt, which owns the Alexander Keith's brand, terminated its relationship with Smith and pulled the campaign after he was charged in February.
While the defence argued for the 18-month minimum, the Crown recommended the two-year maximum.
Lead police investigator, Det. Const. Nicki Laxamana, told CTV News that the fact that Smith is a father is an aggravating component to the sentencing.
Smith will only be allowed supervised visitation with his children once he is released.
With files from The Canadian Press
