Substitute teacher charged in PEI child pornography investigation

Matthew Alan Craswell, a 39-year-old man from Cornwall, PEI, has been charged in connection with a child pornography investigation.

The arrest came Thursday when police executed a search warrant at a home in Cornwall. Craswell was arrested at the scene and police also seized electronic devices from the home.

“It’s a shocking crime,” RCMP Sergeant Shaun Coady told CBC News.

“It is still very common and is still a cause for concern.”

PEI’s Public Schools Department confirmed to CBC News that Craswell worked as a substitute teacher last year.

“His employment with PSB as a substitute teacher ended in June (end of school year), as did all substitute teachers,” the PSB said in an email statement.

“Given this information, this individual will not be considered for future employment with PSB during this ongoing investigation.”

No contact with minors

Craswell was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

There is no indication at this time that he was involved in the creation, Coady said. The investigation is ongoing, he said, and he could not comment on whether any of the victims were on P.E.I.

Craswell was released on strict conditions pending his trial on August 19.

“They’re not allowed to leave the province,” Coady said. “They’re not allowed to have contact with anyone under the age of 16 or go to places where people under the age of 16 are likely to be. And they’re not allowed to have access to the internet or possess devices that have access to the internet.”

The investigation, which began in June, first came to the attention of the RCMP’s National Child Abuse Crimes Centre in Ottawa, which then notified the local RCMP.

CBC News reached out to Craswell by phone, but he declined to comment on the case.