Bail for teacher

Sex charges involve female who was a former student

A Cape Breton high school teacher charged with five sex offences has been released on a host of conditions and is to return to provincial court Oct. 3 to enter pleas.

Lawrence Robert Summerell, 52, of Tompkinsville Road in Reserve Mines is charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of luring a child under the age of 18 and a single count of sexual exploitation. The charges involve a female complainant who was a former student.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between January and June 2017 in two locations in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Summerell has been placed on administrative leave from his teaching position at Memorial High School in Sydney Mines.

He was arrested Monday and spent two nights on remand before being released on a host of conditions.

He is to have no contact with the complainant and was ordered to turn in his passport to Cape Breton Regional Police. He is to live in Reserve Mines. He is not to have contact with anyone under 18, unless family, and is to stay away from places where young people gather, such as parks, pools, etc.

He is prohibited from using any type of computer system to communicate with anyone under the age of 18 and is not to possess or use any electronic device capable of accessing the Internet, web browsing or text messaging.

He is not to possess any phone capable of taking digital images and not to possess any webcam. He is not to own, use or apply for any account with Internet service and is not to access Internet from any public or private facility.

Summerell also agreed to random searches of his home by police to confirm he is abiding by the terms of his release, particularly dealing with computers.

In leaving the Sydney Justice Centre Tuesday after signing his release documents, Summerell donned a red hoodie borrowed from a friend who had come to pick him up. The pair ducked out a side door with media following, wanting to get a comment from the accused and a photo.

Investigators with the Cape Breton Regional Police have seized a laptop computer, a camcorder and several other electronic devices from the accused.

CAPE BRETON POST PHOTO Crown prosecutor Steve Melnick, left, and Joel Pink, right, speak to reporters Wednesday after Pink’s client, Lawrence Summerell, was released on conditions. The high school teacher is facing five sex offences.