A former elementary school teacher in Port McNeill has been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography.
Timothy Joseph Ouellette, 45, faces one count of possession of child pornography and one charge of possession of pornography for the purpose of distribution or sale.
The charges were laid Nov. 9, seven months after police raided Ouellette's home and seized several pieces of evidence.
Mounties have no evidence suggesting Ouellette harmed any students in the district in the two years he worked there.
"We were very pleased to hear that," said Katherine McIntosh, the Vancouver Island North school district's assistant superintendent. "The safety of our students is our top priority."
Ouellette was a substitute teacher in the district and worked in both elementary and secondary school classrooms.
The district said he was suspended March 30, one day after his arrest. The Teacher Regulation Branch at the Ministry of Education also was informed.
Port McNeill RCMP were alerted to the allegations against Ouellette by the province's integrated child exploitation unit.
Police seized a computer and other electronic devices from Ouellette's home on March 29.
"Multiple pornographic images and videos" were found, said Sgt.
Craig Blanchard of Port McNeill RCMP.
Evidence forwarded to the Crown indicates that the videos and images were distributed to other people through online chat rooms, he said.
Ouellette is on bail and is restricted from being near children under 14. He also has restricted access to the Internet. He is scheduled to appear in Port Hardy court on Nov. 20.
According to RCMP, Ouellette no longer lives in Port McNeill.
