Teacher accused of child porn offences facing more charges

Rhett Lundgren (Facebook)

More charges have been laid against a Saskatoon high school teacher accused of child pornography offences.

Rhett Lundgren was arrested Thursday on possession of child pornography, sexual exploitation, luring and breach of undertaking charges by officers with the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit. He appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court Friday to face the possession and breach charges.

The possession charge was laid after police say child pornography was found on devices seized from him during an earlier arrest in December. The sexual exploitation and luring charges relate to a 2009 incident in Red Deer, Alta., involving a student at the school where Lundgren was a teacher at the time.

The 39-year-old Lundgren, who was a full-time work education teacher at Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon, was charged in early December with two counts of arranging to commit a sexual offence against a child between eight and 10 years old and one count of attempting to access child pornography. He’s since been suspended without pay by Saskatoon Public Schools.

The alleged offences that led to his December arrest occurred on or around Nov. 29, according to court documents. He used a computer to communicate and arrange a meeting with a child, the documents state.

A letter sent home to parents and caregivers at Walter Murray on Dec. 9 stated the school division learned of the charges after Lundgren’s first court appearance.

Lundgren, a University of Saskatchewan graduate, holds an active, permanent teaching certificate, according to the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board’s public registry.

He previously worked as a teacher and football coach at Hunting Hills High School in Red Deer and as a teacher on a reserve in northern Saskatchewan, according to an Alberta news article from 2008.

He also played for the Saskatoon Hilltops in the 1990s and was inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of fame as a member of the team when they won the 1996 Canadian Bowl.

He was released on a number of conditions after his first appearance Dec. 9, but allegedly breached the conditions after being with someone under the age of 16 not for employment purposes and without an adult present who was aware of the charges.

He was remanded in custody after his court appearance Friday. His next court date is set for Jan. 25.

The school board stated shortly after his first court appearance the division was launching its own investigation and that Lundgren had been instructed not to be on the property of any public school.