A former teacher at Shawnigan Lake School faces a mandatory jail sentence after he was found guilty of the sexual exploitation of a former student.
Andrew Michael (Andy) Olson was convicted in Duncan Provincial Court on Wednesday of four counts of sexual exploitation and one of child luring in relation to offences that occurred on Dec. 28, 2014 and March 6, 2015, when he was a 34-year-old teacher and house leader at the boarding school, and the victim was a 17-year-old Grade 12 student.
Olson was suspended from his teaching position when the accusations first came to light, and was no longer employed there by the time he was charged in May 2015.
Judge Carmen Rogers felt that Crown counsel Leah Fontaine proved that Olson was in a position of trust and authority over the student, even though he did not teach her.
“I think it was a pretty clear case, in terms of Mr. Olson’s role,” Fontaine said after the verdict was announced. “The fact that he was a teacher at her boarding school is one of the clearest examples we get where someone is in a position of trust and authority.”
Rogers offered a long list of reasons she felt he was in a position of trust and authority, including the fact that he was a teacher at the boarding school, the difference in age, and the fact that in their Facebook messages, she referred to him as “Mr. Olson,” or “Mr. O.”
A boarding school atmosphere creates more of a parental role for teachers, Rogers said, because the students are supervised by teachers both day and night.
When she attended Shawnigan, Olson had no direct involvement with her, and there was no evidence he ever disciplined her at Shawnigan, although all staff members are in a position where they can discipline students.
Olson and the student began interacting on Facebook in late 2014, initiated when Olson asked the girl about a party that was attended by some of the boys he was responsible for as house leader.
That initial interaction led to flirting, which escalated to the student writing about a sexual scenario involving the two, and they began planning a way to make it happen.
Olson initially said they would have to wait until she graduated, or he would lose his job and go to jail.
“It was in black and white in his Facebook messages,” Fontaine said. “He was fully aware that what he was doing was wrong.”
The first incident occurred in Olson’s home when his wife was away, and the second one took place at a nearby hotel.
In addition to the five guilty verdicts, Olson was found not guilty of one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm. Neither he nor his lawyer, Geof Simair, spoke after proceedings.
A date for Olson’s sentencing will be set on May 31.
