.jpg;w=120;h=120;mode=crop){kind=avatar}
A former teacher from St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Secondary School in North Vancouver has been arrested in Ontario on allegations of sexual offences against a student.
Anthony Vesco, 41, was formally charged May 2 with sexual exploitation and sexual assault of a female student in December of 2018.
He was arrested on a Canada-wide warrant by police in Windsor, Ont. on June 6, according to North Vancouver RCMP. He has since been released on bail.
Vesco taught at the private Catholic high school from 2017 to 2019, according to police.
RCMP became aware of the allegations in 2022, according to North Vancouver RCMP spokesperson Const. Mansoor Sahak.
Sahak added police are also aware that there has been some discussion about the events alleged on social media between individuals who might have knowledge of the incidents or have been impacted by them. Investigators believe there are other people who have information and are hoping to speak with anyone who may be a potential witness or victim who has not yet come forward, said Sahak.
"Our priorities right now are to speak with those who have not yet come forward, to gather all available evidence, and to support the victim as we undergo this process," said Sahak.
Anyone with information can contact the police by calling 604-985-1311 and quoting file #22-1350.
"We know that this will be upsetting news for members of the community" said Sahak.
Anyone who is a victim of sexual assault is urged to contact the North Vancouver RCMP’s Crisis Intervention Unit for support at 604-969-7540.
Sahak said Vesco was not working as a teacher at the time he was arrested.
Vesco has not yet entered a plea to the charges, which have not been proven in court. The next court appearance is scheduled for the end of June.
