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Former Red Deer teacher pleads guilty to child porn, sex charges in Saskatoon

Nov 2, 2018 | 10:16 AM

A former Red Deer high school teacher has pleaded guilty to child porn and child sex charges out of Saskatchewan.

Rhett Lundgren pleaded guilty Friday in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench to one count each of arranging to commit a sexual offence against a child, possession of child porn and attempting to access child porn.

Details of the case will be revealed when sentencing takes place on January 9.

Lundgren was a teacher at Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon. He was charged in late 2016 with two counts of arranging to commit a sexual offence against a child, possession of child porn and attempting to access child porn. The charges allegedly involved a child between the ages of eight and 10.

Saskatchewan’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit arrested Lundgren on Dec. 8, 2016, nine days after an investigation was launched into the online sexual exploitation of children through social media. At the time of his arrest, police alleged Lundgren was communicating with another adult about committing an offence against a child between the ages of eight and 10.

Lundgren, who is 41, will stand trial in Red Deer on charges dating back to his time as a teacher at Hunting Hills High School in 2008.

He is charged with two counts of luring a child under 18, and single counts of sexual exploitation, making, printing or publishing child porn, and distributing or selling child porn. Red Deer RCMP charged Lundgren in January 2017 after a female victim, who was 17 at the time, came forward.

The matter was sent to trial following a preliminary hearing in January. The trial has been scheduled for March 21 in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.

 

(With file from the Saskatoon StarPhoenix)