‘In shock’: Montreal private school teacher facing child pornography charges

Staff, students and parents at a Montreal private school say they are in shock after learning that a music teacher is facing child pornography charges.

Guillaume Hétu, 39, worked at Reine-Marie School in Saint-Michel for 11 years before resigning on Oct. 15.

He was charged last Wednesday with producing and possessing child pornography, as well as communicating with an unknown person to commit an offence against a minor under 16 years of age, according to court documents.

The alleged offences occurred on Oct. 7.

“The school team is in shock. We are dismayed by the situation. Very surprised,” said principal Dominic Besner, adding that he heard the news when a La Presse journalist contacted him on Friday.

“I must admit that as a principal in other schools, I have already had to deal with this kind of situation, and when it concerned victims from the school, we were always kept in the loop,” said Besner.

“We worked in collaboration with the investigator or with the police. That doesn’t reassure me at all, but at the same time, it’s true that we assume and presuppose a lot of things.”

Hétu resigned for ‘personal reasons,’ principal says

Besner said he has spoken with an investigator for this case.

“There is nothing to suggest that there are any potential victims at the school,” said Besner. “This is something that happened in his private life.”

Besner said that Hétu resigned for “personal reasons related to his relationship with teaching.”

“He simply didn’t want to teach anymore,” said the principal.

Hétu, Besner said, was well known by students and staff, who he says have been deeply affected by the charges.

“They are reliving memories of moments they had with this teacher, and they are asking themselves questions, so I would say that it is very much about managing emotions today,” he said.

School community informed over the weekend

Parents were sent an email on the weekend, and Besner said he is intent on being transparent and keeping the community informed about the case.

He added that the school had no issues with Hétu in the past.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing,” said Besner. “There was no indication that he had this kind of challenge in his personal life.”

Besner said that when he spoke to the investigator, he was told that the other “unknown” individual mentioned in the court document is not connected to the school.

He said the school staff are working on coming to terms with charges being placed against someone they all knew and worked with for years.

“When we realized that this happened, that this individual worked in a school environment and was around young people all the time, it’s even more disturbing and shocking,” said Besner.

Hétu was released under conditions and will be back in court Feb. 23.