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
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.