Former Saskatchewan francophone teacher facing child porn charges

REGINA – A former Saskatchewan substitute teacher who worked in the Francophone School System is now facing child porn charges in Quebec.

Claude Paquette, 31, is facing charges that include possession and distribution of child pornography stemming from incidents that allegedly took place between Jan. 1, 2003 and January of 2016.

Paquette worked on a replacement contract for the Saskatchewan Francophone School System for six months in 2012.

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READ MORE: 13 men arraigned in Montreal on charges of child pornography

The school board released the following statement to Global News:

“This person was a teacher in our system for six months, in 2012, on replacement contract. We have no knowledge of the current allegations and it would be inappropriate for us to comment on them.

The school board takes the safety of it students very seriously. The CEF takes appropriate measures when hiring such as requiring criminal records, checks and obtaining references.

Furthermore teachers and staff are subject to policies, procedures and ethical guidelines regarding interactions with students. Any allegation of inappropriate conduct is immediately investigated and appropriate action is taken including notifying police authorities if necessary.”

In total 13 men from Quebec were arrested and arraigned in late January on various child porn charges.