UGDSB teacher facing child porn charges

A teacher with the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) is facing several child pornography-related charges.

According to the Ontario College of Teachers, the teacher was arrested by Guelph police last month and is facing one count of possession of child pornography, one count of making child pornography available and one count of accessing child pornography.

A spokesperson with the school board said the safety of all students is its top priority.

“We understand that some in the community may have questions regarding the charges reported, however, we are unable to discuss matters involving police investigations,” Heather Loney, communications manager with the UGDSB, said.

“We can confirm that the teacher is not actively at work at this time, but we are unable to discuss details of personnel matters,” she said.

The teachers' profile on the Ontario College of Teachers shows they received a bachelor of arts from the University of Guelph in 2019, and a bachelor of education from The University of Western Ontario in 2021.

The teacher is qualified to teach in primary and junior divisions.

Guelph police were unable to comment on the specifics of the case.

When asked, a spokesperson for Guelph police sent CTV News a link to a previous media release issued by police on April 6.

The release says a 38-year-old Guelph man was arrested on April 6 following a two-month investigation.

“On Feb. 7, 2023, members of the Guelph Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit and Technological Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at an apartment located in the west end of Guelph. During the search, a number of devices were seized for further investigation,” police said in the release.

The man will appear in a Guelph court on May 16.