Dance school teacher accused of sex exploitation out on bail

A ballet teacher at a prestigious Vancouver dance school who faces three charges of sexual exploitation for allegedly having a relationship with an underage student was released on $10,000 bail Thursday.

Alejandro Vargas Gomez, 49, wearing a red prison shirt and pants, stood quietly in the prisoner’s box during a brief appearance in provincial court in Vancouver.

The hearing included the Crown’s suggested conditions and information about Gomez, who’s from Mexico, but there is a publication ban on details, standard for a bail hearing.

Judge Reg Harris attached a number of conditions to his release, including that Gomez not be around anyone under 18 unless in the company of an adult, post a $10,000 cash deposit, surrender his passport, remain in B.C. and travel only with permission of the courts and to report regularly to a bail supervisor.

He was also ordered not to contact the alleged victim or any of 13 witnesses, who were named in court but whose identities are protected by the publication ban.

Vancouver police, in a release after the arrest, said the sexual relationship began “outside of the academy, with a student who was between the ages of 16 and 18 at the time of the offence.”

Gomez faces three charges, including, “did for a sexual purpose touch” a person with whom he was in a position of authority; invite a person over whom he had authority to touch him; and, “by means of a telecommunication,” communicated with a person under 18 for the purposes of sexual touching, according to court documents.

The offences allegedly occurred between Nov. 1, 2013, and Aug. 31, 2014.

Police said Gomez in 2013 began teaching at the Goh Ballet Academy, which has been operating in Vancouver for 36 years and last year was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal. He has since resigned. Police asked anyone with any information to call the sex crimes tip line at 604-717-0600 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.