Edson teacher charged with luring a child and sexual interference

A 50-year-old man who teaches at a middle school in Edson, Alta., has been charged with several offences after an investigation into a report of sexual interference.

RCMP were notified on Nov. 24 and started investigating.

On Dec. 7, a Fort Assiniboine resident, Brian Leroy Davison, 50, was charged with sexual interference, making sexually explicit material available to a child and luring a child.

According to an RCMP news release sent Dec. 8, Davison is a teacher at Edson’s Ecole Pine Grove School. It’s a middle school (grades 6-8) in the Grande Yellowhead Public Schools Division. However, Davison is not listed on the school website’s staff directory.

“The RCMP have been working closely with and communicating with that school and that school district as far as our information, letting them know what we can make available, so they can conduct their own assessment as far as his future with that school,” RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said.

In a statement on Facebook, the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division said it was recently advised of sensitive allegations involving a teacher at Ecole Pine Grove Middle School in Edson.

The division said the teacher was immediately placed on leave as of Nov. 25. He is no longer at the school, the statement read.

“The division then launched an internal review and investigation, working in collaboration with local authorities,” read the statement.

“While the division is precluded from providing any details regarding the allegations as the matter is now before the courts, it is the division’s intention to assist in any way possible with the RCMP investigation to ensure that this matter is properly investigated and that the correct result is obtained. The division is committed to ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to resolve this matter.”

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Natasha Bellemare has two kids who’ve had Davison as a teacher. In fact, years ago, she was a student of Davison’s herself.

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“From my experiences, he was really good. He was a mentor for me. I got bullied a lot in school. He was always a really good person to go to talk to.”

She said he was engaged in activities, taught multiple classes and coached sports teams.

“He was fun to be around. He made class fun. I never had a bad experience personally for myself.”

Bellemare said hearing about the charges against him brought up complicated emotions.

“I feel really bad for those that have experienced this and I don’t want to diminish anyone’s feelings.”

She was shocked Thursday afternoon when she learned about the RCMP investigation through news reports.

“I think I’m still in shock… I was like: ‘Why wouldn’t the school have notified us sooner?’ So I had a little bit of anger there.

“My (child) was under the impression that he was on a leave of absence — a vacation — and he’d be returning to school next week.

“Yesterday, I had to have that conversation with both my kids… to ask if anything had ever happened to them, if they had any experiences. I had to explain to them the teacher got arrested.”

She said her child was also shocked and couldn’t believe it.

Bellemare said she told her kids that “if anything were to happen, that it’s not their fault. It’s better to come forward and say something than hide it because (that) prevents it from happening again, hopefully.”

“My heart hurts a lot for those people… I’m hoping that if there is more people, that they do come forward because it’s so unbelievably wrong.

“He’s been a teacher for 30-some years… It’s a scary thought.”

She said she received an email from the school board about the charges after they were already public.

“That’s a little late… There should be better communication with parents. We shouldn’t be finding out on social media after the fact.”

RCMP did not say if the alleged crimes involved children at the school.

“We’re extremely sensitive to not releasing anything that could be used to figure out who the victim of this offence is,” Savinkoff said. “Any information about who this victim might be we are withholding for their protection.”

However, he said RCMP aren’t confident this is an isolated incident and they believe there may be additional victims.

“We are asking anyone who believes that they may be a victim by this individual to please come forward,” Savinkoff said. “And parents, if they felt there’s a concern, they should have that conversation with their children.

“That communication bit is so important,” he added. “I know, having teenagers, that as parents we feel like we’re losing control of our children as they get older. And that’s a good thing but we have to make sure that we maintain that ongoing communication with them to kind of have an understanding of what they’re doing and give them appropriate advice to help protect themselves.”

Edson RCMP can be reached at (780) 723-8800 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

RCMP said Davison has been released on conditions, including to have no contact with the victim nor with any child under 16, and to not seek employment or volunteer work that would put him in a position of trust for children under 16.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 7, 2023. The charges have not been proven in court.

Edson is roughly 200 kilometres west of Edmonton.

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— with files from Caley Gibson, Global News.