New sexual abuse charges laid against now-former Whitehorse educational assistant

A now-former educational assistant at Whitehorse's Hidden Valley Elementary School is facing four new charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of another student.

The former assistant made his first court appearance on the new charges on Friday afternoon. He's charged with a count each of sexual assault, sexual interference, sexual exploitation and invitation to sexual touching.

The victim's name is covered by a publication ban. The CBC is withholding the name of the former educational assistant to protect the identity of the victims.

The charges come after a CBC story published in July revealed the assistant had pleaded guilty in 2020 to sexually abusing a student in his care at Hidden Valley the year before. He was sentenced to six months' jail followed by two years' probation and is under a number of conditions, including a prohibition on working or being alone in a room with children ages 16 or younger.

A number of parents with children at Hidden Valley told the CBC that neither the school nor Department of Education informed them about the criminal proceedings, and that they had only learned about the situation through the CBC's story. One parent described the eventual response from the Yukon's education minister to parents' concerns and requests for supports as "insulting."

The Yukon's child and youth advocate has since launched a systemic review into safety and supports at Hidden Valley.

Court documents related to the newly-laid charges allege that the assistant sexually abused a young student in his care between 2014 and 2018.

The assistant was remanded into custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday.