A 54-year-old teacher was charged Friday with sexually assaulting 19 girls at an elementary school in Châteauguay, southwest of Montreal, police said.

The girls were between aged 9 to 13, although most were nine, said Châteauguay police Const. Nathalie Langevin.

Most of the assaults took place during the current school year at L'École Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, she said. They were first reported to police last week.

The Grandes Seigneuries school board said the teacher was suspended a week ago.

Teacher Henri Fournier appeared in a Valleyfield courtroom on Friday and will have a bail hearing next week.