Wow! And to think a teacher here was doing this! is it really that hard to find out some information about a teacher??? The kids of today, including teens (ie: me) need protection from these people that like to take advantage of the weak!

His union will be fighting for him to keep his job for sure!

Mr. Gardiner was my teacher this year, and I am astounded. I never could have seen this coming. He was never weird around students, and he is a brilliant man. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell what people are like. Although brilliant, he is human, and although I am severly dissapointed his teaching will be missed.

What is with these past sentences of 14 days?

Yeah and Charles Manson was a "nice guy" too. Teach your kids that it's not monsters/strangers you need to be wary of... it's your neighbour, teacher, any one. It's behaviors that one needs to be on the look out for. Predators don't look scary. Always follow your gut when something just doesn't seem or feel right.

A teacher charged with possession and distribution? One would expect this person would be kept out of the schools, playgrounds and anywhere kids gather until all the facts are known. Is he is a potential threat to our children? If he is, then I expect he should be dealt with accordingly. Don't you? Chester

Yuk!I think I just threw up in my mouth....
Disgusting old man!
Who can you trust anymore? Now it seems you can't even send your children to school without having to worry that their teacher might be a creep on his time off!Blek!!

"He was never weird around students, and he is a brilliant man."

Brilliant enough to fully understand that child pornography is not a victimless crime, and that the perpetuation of it is just as morally indefensible as the creep who forced the poor kids to pose for the pictures (no, they don't volunteer).

Think of it this way to get a better understanding of the nature of this crime:

A couple of guys come over to your house and force all the various female members of your family to pose nude for them and with them while pictures are taken. They force these women to perform various degrading sex acts with them and for them, and take pictures of all of it. Think of the trauma to your family and the people involved afterwards.

Now think of how you feel about the person who is looking at these pictures of your family being humiliated and sexually degraded, but is getting off on it.

Imagine someone deriving pleasure from looking at pictures of your mom or sister, being forced to perform for the camera.

Imagine how you feel about this person who has these pictures and shares them around, and enjoys them, even though they were not the picture taker.

Now go one step further and imagine that it was not your mom or your sister in the pictures, but your kids. (you maybe don't understand now, but you will someday)

A creep is a creep is a creep.

Ya, he's brilliant all right. He had everybody fooled.

Hmmm... Thanks thereasonableman... so should I be wondering if these couple guys doing your porn film put oil on the naked bodies and used some of the fake sun tan coloring? Was there a fireplace and a fur rug on the floor? Are you going to post some more fantasies or are you out of ideas now?

Always go with your gut reaction. I've met priests, teachers, union thugs, business people and other professionals that I would never accept as being normal. Creepy.

To thereasonableman,
While I share your loathing for these predators, our childern are not completely blind or stupid. From the comments of this student we can assume that this teacher was a good teacher that had shown no obvious signs of being predator. Until ALL THE FACTS are out in court we should try to avoid a lynch mob mentality. After all one of the greatest privilages of this country is the presumption of innocense until proven guilty in a court of law NOT a court of public opinion. Don't worry, if he's guilty I'm sure there will be a few Ball busting skin heads to make a playground out of his rear end in prison.

Yes creepy is right but you know looking back I think this problem occurs more often than we realize. As young kids you don't think that your teacher is a perve you just think he/she is weird and you can't wait until the school year ends. In grade 5 my friend and I used to help out in the library after school. One day Mr. Librarian came over and felt my friends hair and said how nice and soft her hair was. I gave him a weird look (like what the heck are you doing kind of look) he backed off and went into his office. I never thought to tell an adult I just told my friends and we all just stayed clear.
There are always signs of a creep you just have to know what they are. Keep your eyes open kids. I've had that talk with my kids when they started kindergarten about inappropriate touching and behaviours. In highschool kids are at the age where they should be able to recognize the signs. I'm sure looking back now most students should be able to recall something this man did that wasn't right.

I keep an open relationship with my kids so they feel they can come to me and tell me anything. Believe me they do....lol...some questions make my husband blush...I laugh and answer them honestly for what is best for their age. Parents need to stick their noses through the front door of their kids school from time to time...volunteer at events and field trips. Go to after school games and show up before practice ends. Parents need to get more involved.
The reasonableman gave an excellent post.

I'm not interested in trying the man in the court of public opinion. Don't be confused.

I'm interested in preventing people from downplaying this offence as something minor, like having a dirty magazine in your desk. It's not the same thing. Adult pornography (starring Yamaman, and a wild guitar solo) is something consented to by knowing adults. Child pornography is victimization.

I guess you really have to have the experience of seeing the hoardes of this stuff available, and seeing the fear in the kids' eyes to really understand the way I do. I'm not talking about teens either, I'm talking about much younger.

Being a good teacher or anything else does not mitigate the act of propagating something so abhorrent to society.

Furthermore, I do not want someone who thinks this is acceptable, teaching my kids anything but to stay away from him.

Reasonableman, I agree with you 100% but you speak of this man as though he is aleady been found guilty. Allegations do amount to a conviction, untill this man is PROVEN guilty in court, I will be reserving judgement about him personally. On a side note I have young childern myself so don't think that I am looking at it from a non parent perspective.

Sick....just plain sick...Not guilty until proven so...That's a fair system..however, if found guilty put one between the horns! the $1.50 solution saves taxpayers money and protects the public.

Some good teacher ..was so good he may have blind sided everyone,,that's not a good teacher ..that is just a evil con.

I AGREE ONE BETWEEN THE EYES save a lot af tax money

Well Reevus as a parent I look at all people as potential danger to my kids unless they prove to me otherwise....not the other way around. I don't walk around judging others but I am AWARE that things do and can happen to anyone at any given time.

This so called man/teacher is facing charges of possessing child porn for crying out loud not just some kids word against his that he was unappropriate and waiting for the court to decide which side is telling the truth. Put him away for the rest of his life and keep sniffing out those rotten apples that like to "fool the kids".

I'm passing judgement on the crime, not the person involved. Maybe that's easier to understand. I think it's a very reprehensible crime, whoever was responsible for it.

However, others should avoid defending the alleged offence with mitigating "redeeming qualities" of an individual.

I am completely shocked to hear this news.

Mr. Gardiner was my favorite teacher in grade 12. He helped me through more hard times then anyone could even imagine. I got a very strong A in his class because he taught well and we all worked hard. He still remains my favorite teacher and a good man.

It's completely inexcusable what he did. Child pornography should be punished. But just because he did doesn't mean he was a creep around his students or was a bad teacher or a serious threat. A threat perhaps, but not to those he taught. I know he took pride in his work and I and many others who were in the classes with me, or have taken his courses in the past know he is a good man who takes a lot of passion in what he taught us all. He came off a little harsh until he learned we were also passionate about the course and rather then student teach relationships they grew more into friendships.

The Crime was very wrong and extremely disturbing. But dont be like :oh my god, I can't believe that taught our children and was in our school system." He taught young adults to adults in grade 11 and up. Knowing who he is, I found all this hard to believe. Don't take the personal stabs at his work and who he worked with. This was done in his own time and who are any of you to assume what he was like as a friend.

I am completely shocked to hear this news.

Mr. Gardiner was my favorite teacher in grade 12. He helped me through more hard times then anyone could even imagine. I got a very strong A in his class because he taught well and we all worked hard. He still remains my favorite teacher and a good man.

It's completely inexcusable what he did. Child pornography should be punished. But just because he did doesn't mean he was a creep around his students or was a bad teacher or a serious threat. A threat perhaps, but not to those he taught. I know he took pride in his work and I and many others who were in the classes with me, or have taken his courses in the past know he is a good man who takes a lot of passion in what he taught us all. He came off a little harsh until he learned we were also passionate about the course and rather then student teach relationships they grew more into friendships.

The Crime was very wrong and extremely disturbing. But dont be like :oh my god, I can't believe that taught our children and was in our school system." He taught young adults to adults in grade 11 and up. Knowing who he is, I found all this hard to believe. Don't take the personal stabs at his work and who he worked with. This was done in his own time and who are any of you to assume what he was like as a friend.

I am completely shocked to hear this news.

Mr. Gardiner was my favorite teacher in grade 12. He helped me through more hard times then anyone could even imagine. I got a very strong A in his class because he taught well and we all worked hard. He still remains my favorite teacher and a good man.

It's completely inexcusable what he did. Child pornography should be punished. But just because he did doesn't mean he was a creep around his students or was a bad teacher or a serious threat. A threat perhaps, but not to those he taught. I know he took pride in his work and I and many others who were in the classes with me, or have taken his courses in the past know he is a good man who takes a lot of passion in what he taught us all. He came off a little harsh until he learned we were also passionate about the course and rather then student teach relationships they grew more into friendships.

The Crime was very wrong and extremely disturbing. But dont be like :oh my god, I can't believe that taught our children and was in our school system." He taught young adults to adults in grade 11 and up. Knowing who he is, I found all this hard to believe. Don't take the personal stabs at his work and who he worked with. This was done in his own time and who are any of you to assume what he was like as a friend.

I completely agree with the post above mine. Dont assume " kids " can't tell when someone is trust worthy or not. If you dont know who is, or know the whole story. Don't judge.

The news about Mr.Gardiner came as a complete shock to me. I also had him as a teacher and he was one of my favorites. I know many others who though the same. He was always willing to help. I was always able to go to his classroom for extra help. His AP Psych class allowed me to get university credits while I was in highschool. I visited him recently and he was still pleased to know everything was going well for me. I think it is important for everybody to remember that he has not been found guilty yet! I do not believe that any one of his students was at risk. As previously stated by sexysara_marie, this was done on his own time. We will have to see how this all plays out in court.

If I'm reading this right, he was charged with possession & distribution, where the others mentioned in the article were not charged with distribution, so I hope this means a sentence of more than 14 days. This was an "extensive investigation by the RCMP with assistance of the Toronto Police Services Sex Crimes Unit and the Integrated Child Expoitation Unit". It doesn't sound like just allegations. They must have fairly strong evidence to charge him. After all the work by the RCMP I hope that the courts impose more than just a slap on the wrist when they do convict.

It doesn't matter who's time it was done on, its still disgusting. Whether that person is a teacher, a priest, a judge, a cop, or a coach, it does not make their crime any less reprehensible. In fact its worse because they know how it affects the victims, and they are in positions of trust and authority. If you want to feel sympathy for someone, save it for the victims. Try to imagine how their lives have been devastated.

I agree 100% gitterdun. What else is disgusting is how he earned all the trust of his students who in return now defend what horrible things he has done..."didn't mind giving extra help". Yeah I bet! Once the shock wears off you'll see what bad he has done will erase any good he portrayed.

I totally disagree with you Heidi. Coments like you just made - "..."didn't mind giving extra help". Yeah I bet!" are exactly the comments that start rumours that push these things out of control. What are you insinuating by the "Yeah I bet!" That he sexually assaulted someone? Who are you, and what right do you have to assume such things?

I'm a mother.

pgstudent i'm sorry that I offended you it's just that I have school aged kids and that's the last thing I want in the same room as my child is someone who stares and shares pics. of naked children. If in fact this is what he has done which sounds like they found this stuff in his possession then he has a sick brain and needs to be anywhere kids aren't. I know it must be very upsetting to hear things this horrible about someone you had a great respect for but the world won't get better if we defend these types of actions.
I love my kids.

Good post Heidi. I concur.