Man arrested after hidden camera found in washroom at Gatineau, Que. elementary school
Gatineau police arrested an 18-year-old man after a hidden camera was discovered in the girls' washroom at an elementary school.
Police received a call from staff at l’école l'Oiseau Bleu on Nelligan Street just after 10 a.m. Thursday about a camera found in the ceiling of the washroom, police said in a statement.
Officers seized the camera, which will be examined by investigators.
A suspect was arrested Thursday evening.
"The suspect lives in the area of l’école l'Oiseau Bleuand and is said to be a former student who attended the establishment," police said in a statement Friday morning, adding the suspect is not an employee at the school.
Charges of voyeurism, breaking and entering and attempted production of child pornography have been filed with the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, according to police.
It's not known how long the camera had been in the school's washroom. Police say someone using the washroom on Thursday discovered the camera.
"Somebody who went into the washroom noticed a hole in the ceiling and they notified the authorities on scene," Const. Patrick Kenney said.
"That’s where they noticed there was a camera above the removable (tile in the) ceiling. Immediately they called the police and that is when the object was seized."
Kenney says investigators examined the camera and were, "able to identify and locate the subject responsible for the camera."
Police say there is no indication that any images that may have been recorded by the camera were viewed or shared.
"It was not advanced technology," Kenney told CTV News Ottawa, adding the device was not accessible by WiFi.
"It leads us to believe that all of the images stayed on the camera until police took possession of them."
Officers and school staff searched the school to ensure there are no other cameras installed at l’école l'Oiseau Bleu. Police say officers remain in close communication with the school as the investigation continues.
In a letter to parents, the Centre de services scolaire des Draveurs said the camera was discovered in a girls' washroom, and the washroom was "immediately sealed off" and police were called.
Parents and students were shocked to learn a camera was found in the school's washroom.
"I feel so bad, so bad," Elise Berheen said Friday morning. "I can't imagine something like that is happening to our child; it's our community."
The school board says psychological support is available at the school for students.
Last month, police investigated a fire in the washroom of l’école l'Oiseau Bleu. Police say two students under the age of 12 were identified as being responsible for starting the fire, but would not face charges.
"The two students, accompanied by their parents, were met by the investigators in order to make them aware of the dangers and the various possible consequences of their actions," police said in a statement.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Leah Larocque
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
'Ninja,' Twitch's biggest streamer, is diagnosed with skin cancer
American gamer and Twitch superstar, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Here's what Trudeau says the upcoming federal budget will offer renters
The federal government will create a new 'Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights,' which would require landlords to disclose their properties' rental price history to prospective tenants.