Ontario teacher facing sex assault charges after Alberta arrest on Canada-wide warrant

A Niagara Regional Police officer is seen in an undated file photo. (The Canadian Press/Francis Vachon)

A former St. Catharines high school teacher is facing sexual assault charges after being arrested in Alberta.

Niagara Regional Police said the Sexual Assault Unit began an investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving a teacher at St. Catharines Collegiate Secondary School in May after receiving information “indicating a student at the school was sexually involved with a teacher.”

Detectives decided in August they had reasonable and probable grounds to lay charges but weren't able to locate the suspect.

A Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest after police received information that he had left Ontario.

Calgary police notified Niagara police on Oct. 18 that the suspect had been found in Alberta and was in their custody.

Detectives flew to Alberta and took him into their custody.

Police said Friday that 53-year-old Lorne John Gocking has been charged with four counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual exploitation of a young person.

All of the charges, police said, relate to one victim and detectives said there's been no information so far indicating that there may be further victims.

The teacher was suspended from the District School Board of Niagara in May when the investigation began. In an email to CP24.com Friday, the board said he was no longer employed with them as of June.

He had worked at the board for 21 years, most of it at St. Catharines Collegiate.

The board said that it fully cooperated with the police investigation and continues to do so.

“It is absolutely paramount to the DSBN that students feel safe at school, and that they are provided with a safe place to learn. As role models, teachers and other school staff are always held to a high standard, including a responsibility to provide a safe environment for all students,” the board said in a statement.

“We do not tolerate this type of behaviour from any staff member at the DSBN, and these matters are taken very seriously. When allegations of this nature are brought forward, we immediately start the process of doing a full investigation. Additionally, as per our protocol with the Niagara Regional Police, the allegations are directly reported to police.”

Gocking has been in detention at Niagara police headquarters in Niagara Falls since his return.

He was scheduled to have a bail hearing via video link Friday morning.