Calgary teacher charged with sexual assault of student
Posted Mar 19, 2014 1:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Calgary teacher is facing multiple sex charges in connection to an alleged relationship with a student.
Calgary police say between April 2011 and February 2014, the 36-year-old man had a sexual relationship with a now 17-year-old student at a private school in the city.
The allegations were brought forward on March 5th, and two weeks later on Wednesday, March 19th, the suspect was arrested and charged.
The name of the accused, as well as the school involved are not being released since the victim is a current student and the circumstances of how the relationship started are also not being disclosed.
Police say the alleged relationship started when she was 14 and although he was a teacher, it’s not clear if she was in one of his classes.
Child Abuse Staff Sgt. Kelly Campbell said the nearly three-year relationship was a frequent one and although there were notions of something inappropriate, there wasn’t any proof for someone to come forward.
“There were suspicions, but no real evidence that people could say that something was happening, so therefore, obviously nobody came forward, nobody wants to make a false complaint,” she said, adding the relationship wasn’t happening on school property or in the surrounding neighbourhood.
“They were happening in areas where it would not be seen by the public, as well in a vehicle.”
Campbell said they found out about the case when the girl told an adult confidant about the relationship, who then contacted police.
The teacher has been charged with sexual interference with a child under 16 years, invitation to sexual touching with a child under 16 years, sexual contacted with a youth by a person in authority and sexual assault.
The man made his first court appearance Wednesday morning.
Police don’t believe there are any other victims.
