Durham teacher arrested on child porn charges

Investigators with the Major Crime Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit arrested a Durham region teacher on Wednesday and have charged the 38-year-old with numerous pornography-related offences.

On March 30, police executed a search warrant at the Oshawa home of Stephen Martin. Officers arrested Martin at scene without incident and seized several computers containing images of child pornography.

Police say Martin posed online as a girl and encouraged boys to use a webcam to take sexually explicit pictures, which they would then send to him. Police say Martin then used these images to produce child pornography.

Martin has been an elementary school teacher in the Durham region since 1998.

Since 2010, Martin has taught at Dr. CF Cannon Public School in Oshawa. That school will be sending letters home to parents explaining the situation.

Prior to his current job, Martin taught at five other schools in the region:

Norman Powers Public School, 2009-2010

Sir William Stephenson Public School, 2004-2009

William Dunbar Public School, 2000-2004

Sir John A. McDonald, 1999-2000

Cadarackque Public School, 1999

The Durham school board says Martin has been suspended while the investigation proceeds. Police say there is no indication he was approaching children while working.

Martin is alledged to have used a fake Facebook profile under the name "Ashley Mtthws" and Hotmail accounts under the assumed names of Ashley M and Ashley Matthews.

The following is a list of e-mail addresses police believe Martin has used over several months:

Ashley.m3

Ashley_m69, tori.the.tiger

mmmyummycandy

killercows2005

jessica.m99

ashley.mmm

ashley.m4

ash.needs.a.name

amanda.loves.abercrombie

alix.bieber

a.s.h.l.e.y.m

Martin is charged with two counts of luring, two counts of invitation to sexual touching, possession of child pornography and making child pornography. He is being held for a bail hearing.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to ensure there are no further victims. Investigators are requesting parents and caregivers of students who previously attended the above schools or who are currently students at these schools to discuss this matter with their children and report any criminal activity to investigators.