A decision Monday on whether a teacher accused of sexually assaulting six students in Saskatchewan is guilty or innocent was adjourned due to inclement weather that hit the province.
Gerard Loehr, 57, was charged with five counts of sexual assault and six counts of sexual interference related to incidents involving students between 1990 and 1996.
Loehr pleaded not guilty and the charges against him haven’t been proven in court. A trial was held in Wynyard provincial court from July 27 to Aug. 13 before Judge Lloyd Stang.
The charges against Loehr came after Wynyard RCMP launched a historic sexual assault investigation in February 2019. A woman had contacted them to report a historic assault and five others came forward to police about alleged sexual assault incidents involving Loehr.
Loehr was most recently a music teacher in Ottawa. He left Saskatchewan in 1996 and taught in Ottawa schools.
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In 2019, Ottawa Police Service charged Loehr with sexual assault and sexual interference against 11 students. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board removed him from the classroom.
Police in Saskatchewan and Ottawa both say they believe there may be more victims who haven’t come forward.
According to RCMP, the victims encountered Loehr when he was a teacher in Wynyard and Foam Lake schools from 1990 to 1996. They say Loehr may have substituted at other schools in the area, however, due to the length of time that has passed since he taught in Saskatchewan, RCMP doesn’t have exact details about which schools he may have taught.
Ottawa police say Loehr taught middle school level music in the west end of Ottawa between 2000 and 2003. He also taught privately in his home.
In Saskatchewan, people should contact their local police detachment or the RCMP at 306-310-7267. In Ontario, people should contact Ottawa police at 613-236-1222, ext. 5760. Anonymous tips can be submitted by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
The verdict for Loehr was adjourned to Nov. 13 in Wynyard provincial court.
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