P.E.I. substitute teacher re-arrested, charged with sexual offences

An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A substitute teacher in Prince Edward Island previously charged with child pornography offences was re-arrested on Sunday.

Matthew Alan Craswell, 39, was previously charged on Friday after police executed a search warrant at a home in Cornwall. He was arrested and a number of electronic devices were seized from the home, although he was later released on strict conditions pending a future court appearance.

Police say they arrested Craswell after obtaining new information regarding an incident in April while Craswell was teaching.

According to police, the new information allows for new charges to be laid, and Craswell is now being held in custody until Wednesday for a show cause hearing. He appeared in court on Monday morning, where he now faces new charges of:

• sexual exploitation
• sexual assault
• sexual interference

"Police fully appreciate how difficult it can be for anyone to come forward to report crimes of this nature," said P.E.I. RCMP commanding officer, Kevin Lewis, in the update on Monday. "But thanks to information provided to PEI RCMP we were able to take the actions we did yesterday, and re-arrest this individual."

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