The son of the woman whose body was recently found in a Paradise field is no stranger to police. Joseph Rice of Paradise has a lengthy criminal record.
The 37-year-old — who was arrested in Halifax on a warrant on child pornography charges last week — has 21 prior convictions.
His record dates back to February 1999, at which time he was given a suspended sentence for assault and causing a disturbance.
He went on to accumulate convictions for sexual interference (six-month conditional sentence, May 1999), nine counts of unlawfully possessing or using a credit card (six-month conditional sentence, with two years’ probation, June 2003), impaired driving ($600 fine, June 2003), impaired driving and failing to appear in court (10-day intermittent jail term, October 2006), impaired driving and driving while disqualified (one month in jail, March 2008), driving while disqualified (14 days in jail, April 2008) and two counts of failing to appear in court (14-day intermittent sentence, September 2008).
Rice was back in provincial court in St. John’s Monday for what was supposed to be a bail hearing.
Instead, duty counsel Jane Fitzpatrick told Judge Greg Brown Rice has opted to stay in jail for now.
He’s due back in court Thursday.
A warrant had been issued for Rice’s arrest in March on suspicion he had been distributing child pornography.
He faces two charges — possessing child pornography and distributing child pornography.
No further details were released.
Police are not releasing any information on whether or not Rice’s arrest is connected to his mother’s death.
The body of Patricia Rice was found next to the McDonald’s on Topsail Road July 25.
The RNC has confirmed the case is a homicide investigation.
rgillingham@thetelegram.com
Twitter: @TelyCourt
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
