Teacher’s aide in Iqaluit faces sex-crime charges

A teacher’s aide who worked at Nakasuk Elementary School in Iqaluit was charged in late September with four sex-crime charges, the RCMP reported Friday.

Samuel Tagalik, 30, was charged on Sept. 25 with four offences — sexual exploitation, invitation to sexual touching, luring, and possession of child pornography, RCMP said in a news release issued late Friday afternoon.

The police report did not say whether the alleged crimes were believed to have taken place at the school or somewhere else.

There was no explanation for the nearly three-week gap between the charges and their public reporting in the news release, which was sent to media organizations after 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

The investigation was conducted by the RCMP’s specialized investigative team. Investigators are looking into what police describe as “historical incidents believed to have occurred in 2018, involving former students.”

The RCMP report did not indicate whether the three charges were related to recent or historical incidents. A police spokesperson could not be reached Friday afternoon to clarify.

It’s not clear whether Tagalik is currently working at the school.

The Department of Education would not say anything about Tagalik’s current status at the school, citing Nunavut’s privacy protection law.

“We are not permitted to discuss confidential matters about any employees while employed or post-employment, this includes individual teachers or other school staff,” department spokesperson Krista Amey said in an email.

Tagalik is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 30.