VICTORIA — A Canadian Forces cadet instructor has been charged with sexual offences against two underage cadets trained in Victoria and Vernon, B.C.

Capt. Daniel Moriarity is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old female cadet and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old male cadet between 2008 and 2011 at the Lt. Gen. E.C. Ashton Armoury in Victoria and the Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre.

Moriarity is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation, one count of sexual assault and one count of disgraceful behaviour. He is charged under the Canadian Criminal Code and the National Defence Act.

One of the victims came forward with the allegations in the summer of 2011, while he was deputy commanding officer of the 3005 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Victoria. Moriarity was immediately suspended as an instructor pending the outcome of the investigation. He was arrested later that summer.

The investigation was conducted by the police's investigative branch, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.

Moriarity was arrested and released on conditions not to have any contact with cadets or attend any cadet functions. The case will proceed through the military justice system.

The Military Police would not release Moriarity's age or hometown but spokeswoman Capt. Karina Holder said he's "a younger officer."

Moriarity was a reservist and has been an instructor since 2006, Holder said. Instructors have to be at least 18 years old. Holder could not say if Moriarity was once a cadet himself.

Instructors must go through a criminal-record check and a vulnerable-sector screening check, and must also complete a suitability assessment protocol, "specifically designed to determine the applicants' ability to work with youth," Holder said.

"Those in a position of leadership in the Canadian Forces are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, and this type of alleged behaviour is treated with the utmost seriousness by the Military Police," Lt. Col. Robert Delaney, commanding officer of the National Investigation Service, said in a statement.

The service is an independent military police unit which investigates serious and sensitive matters relating to Department of National Defence property, employees and military personnel serving in Canada and abroad.

"For an instructor to be charged like this, this is extremely rare," Holder said. "It's rare in part because the cadet organization is built in a multi-layered approach to prevent and then deal with these circumstances should they arise."

She added senior leaders within the cadet organization are trained in how to deal with sexual abuse allegations, and cadets themselves undergo harassment and abuse training so they can immediately step forward if they are being victimized or see signs that another cadet is being abused.

"The victim did come forward to the chain of command and (they) reacted in textbook style by alerting the Military Police," Holder said.

There are 50,000 cadets in 1,000 units across Canada; they age from 12 to 18.