Montreal-area private school teacher arrested in connection with child pornography

Parents at a private school on Montreal's South Shore received a disturbing letter Friday night informing them a teacher had been arrested in connection with child pornography.

Gilles Croteau is a math teacher at Collège Trinité, a private high school in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.

In its notice to parents obtained by CTV News, the school said Croteau could face charges of luring, inciting sexual contact and producing child pornography.

"We are surveying the situation hour by hour with [Longueuil police]," the letter states.

The school said there's no indication that Croteau targeted students, but he has been suspended from the job and is banned from campus.

"We have no information that leads us to believe that one of our students was a victim," the letter continues.

Denise Parsons is a parent of two daughters who were taught by Croteau some years ago.

She says her daughters, both graduates of Collège Trinité, weren't directly affected by Croteau's alleged actions.

"It was a very big surprise. The news came, like news will come, out of nowhere," Parsons told CTV News. "My first thought as a parent [was] I need to reach out to them and follow up with them to see what extent the exploitation had reached, and if that was something that was touching my daughters."

Parsons said Croteau's arrest came as a total shock.

"I had a very good idea of who I thought he was and what he was doing in school. I had a lot of respect for him," she said.

In a statement, Collège Trinité said it's taking the allegations seriously.

"The school administration has offered its full cooperation to [Longueuil police] and has already taken action to ensure the integrity of its environment and a healthy learning environment for all its students," the statement reads.

This includes offering psychological services and directing parents to investigators if need be.

But Denise Parsons thinks services should be extended to former students as well.

"I think it's really important that the families of the students from the past know more as well and are kept in the dialogue and in the communications in some certain way with the school so we can do continual follow-up and support," she said.

Collège Trinité declined to further comment on the matter as the judicial process is ongoing.

Croteau's arrest was one of dozens made in a recent cross-Quebec crackdown on child pornography and other sexual offences against minors.