Former Sask. teacher charged with sexual offences

A man whom police say used to teach in Wynyard and Foam Lake — and perhaps other Saskatchewan schools as well — has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual interference.

In a media release Thursday, the RCMP said Gerard Loehr, 57, is facing five counts of sexual assault and six counts of sexual interference relating to incidents that occurred in the province between 1990 and 1996.

He was arrested Monday in Ottawa and transported to Saskatchewan, where he appeared in Yorkton Provincial Court on Tuesday. He made another court appearance in Wadena on Thursday.

According to the RCMP, the investigation started in February of 2019 after an adult female filed a report of historical sexual assault.

“Since the initial report, five other individuals have provided information to police in Saskatchewan involving the same individual,” the police release said. “Investigators have determined the victims encountered the accused through his role as a teacher in Saskatchewan.”

There may be other victims as well.

The RCMP release says the alleged incidents occurred when Loehr was a teacher in Wynyard and Foam Lake, but he also may have worked as a substitute at other schools. Police added they don’t know where else he might have taught because of the length of time that has elapsed.

Loehr left Saskatchewan in 1996 and taught at schools in Ottawa after 2000.

After an investigation in that city, the Ottawa Police Service charged him in August with five counts each of sexual assault and sexual interference. In December, he was charged with six more counts of each offence for incidents alleged to have occurred in Ottawa between 2000 and 2018.

Anyone in Saskatchewan with information is asked to call their local police detachment, the RCMP at 1-306-310-7267 or Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Information also can be provided online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.