CALGARY — Police in Calgary have charged a man in the alleged sexual assaults of six students between 15 and 20 years ago when he was a junior high school teacher.
They say a woman came forward last September saying that, nearly two decades earlier, a teacher had undressed her and other female students during a canoe trip their school did not sanction.
Police investigated and found five other women who reported sexual involvement with the same teacher at the Calgary junior high school between 1999 and 2005.
Police believe the teacher, who taught there between 1986 and 2006, used his position of trust to groom the students and get them into situations in which sexual activities could occur.
They note in a statement that young people cannot give free and informed consent to any sexual activity with someone in a position of trust and authority over them.
Michael Andreassen Gregory, who is 57 and lives in De Winton, Alta., is charged with six counts of sexual assault and 11 counts of sexual exploitation.
"There can be a lot of confusion and mixed emotions when a young person experiences exploitation by someone they trusted," said Staff Sgt. Michelle Doyle of the Calgary Police Service sex crimes unit.
"It can often take many years before the person looks back on it and realizes that what happened was not OK and that it needs to be reported."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2021.
The Canadian Press