National

B.C. elementary music teacher suspended after child pornography charge

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Feb, 2025 04:55 PM

A Vancouver Island school district says an elementary school teacher has been charged with accessing child pornography.

Court records show the man faces a charge for an offence alleged to have been committed last March in Central Saanich, B.C.

The Sooke School District says it has employed the teacher since 2016, and he most recently worked as a music teacher at David Cameron Elementary and Wishart Elementary before then.

However, it says "due to unrelated circumstances," the man has not been in the classroom during the 2024-2025 school year.

The district says it "took immediate action" by suspending the teacher when it learned of the charges on Feb. 5, adding that he is not authorized to teach under the Teacher Regulation Branch while the matter is under review.

The teacher is scheduled to appear in court in Victoria next month.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Possible scenarios that could play out in Ottawa as the Liberal government teeters

With MPs set to return to the House of Commons on Jan. 27, the Liberal grip on power appears tenuous. The NDP, which has been a steady ally of the minority government since the 2021 election, is no longer planning to support the Liberals.

Possible scenarios that could play out in Ottawa as the Liberal government teeters

China slams Canada human-rights criticism as 'hypocritical farce of double standards'

China is accusing Canada of hypocrisy for criticizing Beijing's human-rights record, pointing to issues faced by Indigenous Peoples. The blowback comes after Ottawa sanctioned eight Chinese officials it accuses of "grave human rights violations" against ethnic and religious minorities, and voiced concern about democracy in Hong Kong.

China slams Canada human-rights criticism as 'hypocritical farce of double standards'

Canada primed for more severe wildfire days, driven by dry forest fuel: study

Canadian forests are increasingly primed for severe, uncontrollable wildfires, a study published Thursday said, underlining what the authors described as a pressing need to proactively mitigate the "increased threat posed by climate change." The study by Canadian researchers, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, looked at Canadian fire severity from 1981 to 2020.

Canada primed for more severe wildfire days, driven by dry forest fuel: study

B.C. property values flat across much of province, especially in urban centres

BC Assessment says the newly updated property values, as of July 1, 2024, show almost all Lower Mainland communities within a three per cent rise or decline from the previous year.

B.C. property values flat across much of province, especially in urban centres

Calgary army reservist and museum director killed while ice climbing in B.C.

A Calgary army reserve officer was killed in an ice-climbing accident in eastern British Columbia over the holidays. Maj. Dave Peabody died while off-duty on Dec. 26 in Kootenay National Park, the military said Thursday.

Calgary army reservist and museum director killed while ice climbing in B.C.

Calgary police charge massage therapist with assault of client

Police in Calgary have charged a massage therapist with assaulting a client almost two years ago. They say the woman had a session booked in her home in January 2023.