Ex-Lethbridge teacher jailed for child porn

LETHBRIDGE A former teacher in southern Alberta has been sentenced to four years in prison on child pornography charges.

Dwayne Schnell was removed from the Lethbridge school where he taught grades 7 to 12 after he was charged in October.

He pleaded guilty to making and distributing child pornography, and publication of an intimate image without consent.

Following his release from prison, Schnell will be bound by a prohibition order for 10 years that will restrict his access to the internet and places where children under the age of 16 are likely to be present.

Provincial court Judge Eric Peterson said Schnell’s child porn collection consisted of 1,000 images, 600 videos and 155 images of students that were taken without their knowledge.

“I can only express outrage at the sickening display of abuse,” Peterson said in court Tuesday.

The Crown says authorities were tipped off by Yahoo that one of its users had been sharing child pornography.

An investigation led police to obtain a search warrant for Schnell’s home. When investigators informed him of their reason for being there, he told officers that he was responsible.

An examination of Schnell’s electronic devices revealed numerous online chats of a sexual nature with girls in which he shared images of child porn.

Police also discovered images of students that were taken without their consent.