Former Moncton teacher faces new sex crime charges spanning 5 decades

New charges were laid in Moncton provincial court Thursday alleging sexual offences by a former teacher spanning five decades and involving 13 victims.

Paul J. Maillet, who taught at École Champlain elementary school in Moncton, now faces 29 charges.

Maillet, 76, of Notre-Dame, northwest of Shediac, wasn't in court Thursday. He was represented by lawyer Gilles Lemieux, who requested an adjournment. The case returns to court Dec. 8.

The charges include gross indecency, indecent assault, buggery, possessing child pornography, sexually touching a minor, sexual assault, distributing an obscene photo, and exposing his genitals.

The charges allege offences in the 1960s, '70s, '80s, '90s and 2003. The most recent alleged offence is possessing child pornography in June of this year.

The charges use sections of the Criminal Code of Canada that applied at the time of the alleged offence and that use antiquated terms.

Lemieux declined an interview Thursday after the new charges were laid.

On April 4, Maillet was charged in Moncton provincial court with invitation to sexual touching, sexual assault, and acts of gross indecency, offences that allegedly occurred in 1987 and 1988.

There is a court-imposed publication ban on information that could identify the alleged victims. The latest charges only use initials.

Police issued a news release in May saying officers began investigating in August 2021 after receiving a complaint about sexual assaults involving a male teacher at École Champlain.

Maillet was arrested in January.

In June, police issued another news release saying more victims and witnesses had come forward. The news release said the allegations then spanned from 1968 to 2003.

Police have said they're looking to speak to other potential victims no matter how far back the incident happened.

Police have said over the subsequent months that more and more people did come forward. In mid-September, Codiac Regional RCMP acting Supt. Benoit Jolette said police had heard from 17 people.