UPDATE: On Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, Alberta Justice confirmed to Global News that charges against Christopher Herodek were stayed in November. “Upon review of all the available evidence after the preliminary inquiry, it was determined there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction, so the charges were stayed,” said a spokesperson.
EDMONTON – A 48-year-old Edmonton man is facing more sex-related charges for allegedly inappropriately touching two more pre-teen girls at city recreation facilities.
Last January, Edmonton police said Christopher Herodek – who was a teacher within the Edmonton Public School District – had been charged with two counts each of sexual assault and sexual interference.
It was alleged Herodek inappropriately touched two pre-teen females who swam by him at Edmonton’s north and west-end recreation centre pools in the summer of 2009.
Investigators laid similar charges against Herodek earlier in January for two separate incidents that are alleged to have occurred on Dec. 22, 2013 and Dec. 23, 2013. On those days, police say Herodek allegedly touched two other pre-teen females while they were swimming in the lazy river pool at Terwillegar Community Rec Centre.
“A lifeguard observed an adult male groping a pre-teen female under the water in, I guess they call it a lazy river pool,” said EPS spokesperson Scott Pattison.
After reviewing surveillance video, Pattison said officers learned of the Dec. 22 incident and the arrest was made.
“The lifeguard involved deserves a lot of praise for keeping a close attentive eye not only on the children that are swimming there and the adults that are swimming there, obviously for their safety within the water, but for their overall safety.
“They were very observant, very watchful and kept an eye on the suspect at that time, happened to notice some peculiar activity, going under the water, that sort of thing, with goggles on, and followed them intently and made the complaint.”
In early January 2014, Herodek was charged with the first two counts of sexual assault and sexual interference.
As a result of the charges, Herodek was suspended from his position with Edmonton Public Schools. It is not known at which school Herodek taught.
*NOTE: This article was originally published on Jan. 30, 2014. It was updated Jan. 9, 2015 to include information about the charges being stayed.