'Questionable photos' lead to arrest of Alberta reserve school staffer
Last Updated: Monday, June 23, 2008 | 5:42 PM MT
CBC News
An employee of a school on a First Nations reserve in southern Alberta has been charged with sexual interference, voyeurism and other offences related to child exploitation, police revealed Monday.
Turner Valley RCMP were called on June 13, when someone at the Chief Jacob Bearspaw School on the Eden Valley Reserve found "questionable photos" near a printer, said RCMP Cst. Amber McKay in a news release.
A search of a home in Eden Valley, about 120 kilometres southwest of Calgary, produced "further evidence of child exploitation offences," police said.
On Friday, RCMP arrested Leon Rider, 42, who was most recently employed at the school as an attendance officer/home liaison. McKay said she did not know what responsibilities that position included. He had also worked as an administrative assistant.
Rider has been charged with sexual interference, possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography and voyeurism.
McKay said the sexual interference charge is related to touching of an unidentified victim in the evidence that was seized.
Rider remains in custody until a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday in Okotoks provincial court.
Students from kindergarten to Grade 12 attend the Eden Valley school, said McKay.
With files from Andree LauShare Tools
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