PROVIDENCE — A Brown University hockey player is facing several charges, including distributing child pornography, stemming from an incident in Canada in 2006, according to officials.

Harrison Zolnierczyk, of Toronto, Ontario, a freshman at Brown, is set to appear in Port Alberni Provincial Court in Canada on March 13.

“We’re still in the preliminary stages,” said Zolnierczyk’s lawyer, Richard Fowler of Vancouver, Canada. “There is a discussion taking place, but I can’t tell you anything about those discussions. I can say that the charges on their face are more serious than the circumstances.”

Zolnierczyk and his former teammate, Bradley Harding, were charged with four counts on July 9, 2007 of surreptitiously making a recording in a situation where a reasonable expectation of privacy is expected, knowingly distributing that recording, possessing child pornography and distributing child pornography. Harding pleaded guilty to the charges and is awaiting sentencing, said Cpl. Rob Foster, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Foster would not confirm any details of the incident yesterday, but did say that Zolnierczyk was facing charges resulting from an incident in the fall of 2006. The Canadian news wire, Canwest News Service, reported that Zolnierczyk and Harding made a sex tape with a teenage girl and posted it on on the Web site YouTube.

The Canadian legal system does not characterize offenses in terms of misdemeanors and felonies, Foster said, though he did say the charges are all punishable by jail time.

At the time of the alleged offense, Zolnierczyk played hockey for Alberni Valley High School. He is a forward for the Bears’ hockey team.

Phone calls to Molly deRamel, spokeswoman for Brown University, and Roger Grillo, coach of the hockey team, were not immediately returned yesterday. It is unclear whether Zolnierczyk is still playing on the team or if he faces suspension.

According to the university’s Web site, Zolnierczyk has played in 16 games this season. Earlier this month, he was nominated as rookie of the week for his performance against Harvard. The Bears play next at Dartmouth on Friday.

tbuford@projo.com