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Police accuse the teacher of using his position of authority and trust to groom the teen to develop a sexual relationship that extended from 2000 to 2003. Published May 06, 2024 • Last updated May 06, 2024 • 2 minute read A former Calgary teacher has been charged with sexually assaulting one of his students more than two decades ago. City police say the alleged victim came forward with the complaint last year, saying she'd been assaulted by the teacher while she was his student at École Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys, a Francophone school now operated under the FrancoSud School Board, starting when she was 14 years old. Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. or Article content Article content Police accuse the teacher of using his position of authority and trust to groom the teen to develop a sexual relationship that extended from 2000 to 2003, and continued after the girl left the school. Some of the incidents are believed to have occurred in his residence and vehicle, say police. Mario Joseph Denis Arsenault, 54, of Levis, Que., is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual assault. A spokesman for FrancoSud said he work from 2000 to 2017 at the school which was governed by the Calgary Catholic School District until 2002 when it came under FrancoSud's jurisdiction. The woman's decision to come forward with the allegations was a difficult one that should be lauded, said police. "It takes immense courage for victims of sexual assault to come forward to police, especially when they experience exploitation by someone whom they trust," said Staff Sgt. Tom Hanson of the Calgary Police Service sexual assault investigations unit. "Young people cannot give free and informed consent for any sexual activity with a person in a position of trust and authority over them, regardless of whether they say they agree to it or not." Advertisement 3 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Sexual abuse experts say it's common for victims of those they trusted to not report the crimes due to lingering, unfounded feelings of shame and doubt they'll be believed. Antoine Begin, a spokesman for FrancoSud said Monday he couldn't say much about the allegations since they're now before the courts but added "our thoughts are with the victim, of course. We were just made aware of this today, like everyone else." "The FrancoSud and Calgary Catholic school districts are deeply shocked and saddened by this information. Both districts have counsellors available for any students or staff who need support." The accused's next court appearance is set for June 6. Police are reminding the public there's no statute of limitations on sexual assault and are encouraging anyone with knowledge of such crimes to contact them at 403-266-1234, anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, on the organization's mobile app at P3 Tips or at www.calgarycrimestoppers.org. BKaufmann@postmedia.com X: @BillKaufmannjrn Article contentSign In or Create an Account
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