Court puts off P.E.I. substitute teacher's case on sex charges until Sept. 23
A 39-year-old man from Cornwall, P.E.I., will be back in court on Sept. 23 to elect whether he wants his case handled in provincial court, by a Supreme Court judge, or by a judge and jury at the Supreme Court level.
Matthew Alan Craswell faces a number of charges:
sexual exploitation
sexual assault
sexual interference
possession of child pornography
distribution of child pornography
Craswell was not in court during a scheduled appearance on Monday; his lawyer appeared on his behalf.
The accused was initially arrested Aug. 8 on the child pornography charges, but was released from custody after appearing in court.
A few days later, acting on new information about an incident in April 2024, while Craswell was working as a substitute teacher, police arrested him again and the other charges were laid.
RCMP say they re-arrested Matthew Alan Craswell on Aug. 11 after receiving information from the public about an incident that happened in April of this year, while the accused was working as a substitute teacher. (Tony Davis/CBC)
The P.E.I. Public Schools Branch has told CBC News that Craswell will not be considered for future employment while the investigation and court proceedings are underway.
"This individual was a certified substitute teacher who worked occasionally when called upon to fill in for other teachers," a spokesperson for the board said in an Aug. 13 email. "As a certified substitute teacher, he was eligible to teach all grade levels."
He would have been required to pass a vulnerable sector check every two years, the agency said.
"PSB staff have been in contact with RCMP and will assist with their investigation as appropriate," the statement said.
