Educational assistant to face trial on sex assault charges

An educational assistant will defend herself at trial from sexual abuse allegations made by two students, while a sexual exploitation charge arising from another pupil was discharged.

The case returns to court for judicial pretrial on June 29, says assistant Crown attorney Lisa Wannamaker.

Karen Bagshaw, 58, was committed to stand trial on sexual exploitation, sexual assault, luring, accessing child pornography and making sexually explicit material available related to one of the teens and sexual exploitation and sexual assault for the other teen.

In December 2016, Peterborough Police charged Bagshaw with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual exploitation relating to two young persons. Under the criminal charge of sexual exploitation, a young person is defined as someone between the ages of 16 and 18.

Police originally said the offences took place during the 2014-15 school year but now say the investigation has determined the alleged offences began in 2013 involving two 15-year-olds.

Rusty Hick, director of education for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Bagshaw’s employer, said at the time that Bagshaw had been removed from all workplaces within the board.

Hick said the Board worked closely with police and while they must respect the rights of all involved, “student safety is our most prominent concern. We take it very seriously.”

Letters were expected to be sent home at Adam Scott Collegiate, where Bagshaw was working as an educational assistant, as well as at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, where Hick says the teens involved were former students.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information can call the crime line at 705-876-1122 ext. 555, email crimeline@peterborough.ca or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.