Former Waterloo, Ont. principal granted day parole while serving sentence on child luring charges

Warning: This story contains disturbing and explicit sexual details.

A former elementary school principal who worked in Waterloo, Ont. will be back in the community approximately a year after he was sentenced on two counts of luring a child under the age of 16.

In 2024, Phillip Sallewsky pleaded guilty to a series of charges that included luring, transmitting sexually explicit material to someone believed to be under the age of 16 and making and transmitting child sexual abuse materials (formerly known as “child pornography”).

He was only sentenced for luring as the other offences were conditionally stayed as they were encompassed within those charges.

He was sentenced to four-years behind bars in January 2025.

Documents from the Parole Board of Canada show a decision was made on Jan. 30, 2026, granting Sallewsky day parole privileges. He will be allowed to live in a community-based residential facility and work as a building superintendent, which was a position he held prior to his incarceration. During the day, he will be allowed to go out into the community as long as he returns to the residential facility at night.

The documents state the decision will “allow [Sallewsky] a slow reintegration back into the community and also allow [him] to demonstrate positive community behaviour.”

While locked up, Sallewsky attended counselling, acknowledged the harm he caused and was cooperative.

“You maintained institutional employment as a range cleaner and currently as a carpenter’s helper with the Works department. You remain productive by participating in book club and writer’s workshop.”

The document also noted there were no concerns with his behaviour while he was out on bail following his arrest.

“In arriving at the current decision, the [Parole Board of Canada] has not lost sight of the serious nature of your offending which involved luring young persons to engage in inappropriate sexual activity despite

being in a position of trust,” the decision said.

History of the case

Police began investigating concerns of online child luring on Feb. 4, 2023.

During the course of the investigation, Sallewsky and a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl had an online relationship. However, that person was actually an undercover officer.

The two spoke daily, and the conversations took on a sexual nature.

Investigators said Sallewsky asked the “girl” to engage in sexual acts, described sexual scenarios to her, sent and asked for explicit images.

Around the same time, Sallewsky was also speaking to another undercover officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl on a different social media platform.

Sallewsky was the principal at Northlake Woods Public School in Waterloo at the time.

Police also determined he sent images of his penis to the undercover officers, and one of those photos was taken and sent from his office at the school.

An agreed statement of facts submitted during the trial also described how he carved wooden penises and engraved the names of the “girls” on them. He then sent photos of his wooden creations and suggested they could be used for sexual pleasure.

Sallewsky had made arrangements to meet both of his intended victims separately and was arrested at the Burlington GO Train station on March 30, 2023.

Special conditions

While on day parole, Sallewsky will need to adhere to several special conditions imposed by the parole board.

Those include immediately reporting all intimate sexual and non-sexual relationships, as well as friendships with people who are responsible for children under the age of 16; following a treatment plan addressing emotional management, sexual behaviours and interests, healthy relationships and coping mechanisms; and not buying, acquiring, possessing or accessing pornography, or other sexually explicit material, in any form.

Sallewsky cannot have more than one mobile communication device or SIM card without written permission from his parole supervisor. He must also give his parole supervisor access to his device upon request so all photos, videos, social media accounts, emails and text messages can be reviewed.

Other conditions were already set out by the court after he pleaded guilty, including not being allowed to visit public places where children may be present unless he’s accompanied by someone over the age of 21 who is aware of his conviction.

He cannot visit public parks, swimming areas, daycares or school grounds.

Sallewsky is also not allowed to take on work or volunteer where he will be in a position of trust or authority over anyone under 16-years-old, or to communicate, by any means, with a person under the age of 16, unless in the presence of a person older than 21 that is aware of his conviction.

He won’t be allowed to use the internet or other similar telecommunication devices to access child pornography. The judge ordered him not to participate in chat rooms, bulletin boards or other social media that discusses or promotes child exploitation.

With files from CTV News’ Krista Simpson