Toronto elementary school teacher arrested in connection with sexual assault of child
Toronto Police Services (TPS) have arrested a local elementary school teacher in connection with an ongoing sexual assault investigation.
It is alleged that, between 2014 and 2016, a man worked in a Toronto home as a babysitter to a seven-year-old boy. During that time, the man allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted the child.
According to police, the assaults occurred in residences in the O’ Connor Drive and St. Clair Avenue East area and the Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue area of Toronto.
Following an investigation, Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) officers arrested 41-year-old Toronto resident Gianni Jarman, formerly known as Gianni Pate, on Aug. 13.
Jarman is employed as a teacher with the Toronto District School Board at Secord Elementary School.
In a letter sent to parents and students, the school identified the teacher as John Jarman and said that he will remain on home assignment until the charges are proven in a court of law.
"Upon learning of the arrest, Mr. Jarman (Pate) was placed on home assignment and will not return to the school for the start of the school year pending outcome of the matter. These charges are unrelated to the school and to his duties as a teacher, do not involve any students at Secord ES and date back to 2015," Secord Elementary School principal, George Vlahos, said in the letter.
“While it is important to remember that laying criminal charges does not constitute guilt, and that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, we also cannot and do not take these allegations lightly. Safety is a top priority at TDSB schools and we are committed to enforcing policies about the well-being of our students."
Pate is being charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference and two counts of invitation to sexual touching.
He is scheduled to appear in court at Old City Hall on Sept. 17 at 9 a.m.
Investigators are asking anyone with information on the case to contact them at 416-808-2922.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.