B.C. elementary school teacher facing child porn charge

David Cameron Elementary School in Colwood, B.C., is pictured in an undated file photo. (CTV News)

An elementary school teacher on Vancouver Island has been charged with accessing child pornography.

Court records show Giles William Borland was charged with one count of accessing child pornography on Jan. 23.

The Colwood music teacher has been suspended by the Sooke School District, where he has worked since 2016, according to a statement from the district.

Borland most recently taught at David Cameron Elementary after previously teaching at Wishart Elementary, according to the district.

“Due to unrelated circumstances, Mr. Borland has not been in a classroom during the 2024-2025 school year,” the school district statement said.

“The school district took immediate action upon becoming aware of the charge. Given the severity of the charge, superintendent Paul Block exercised his authority under the School Act to suspend Mr. Borland.”

The accused is not authorized to teach under the B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch while the matter is under review, the statement said.

“Although current information is limited, we are committed to keeping our community informed to the fullest extent possible.”

The alleged offence occurred in the Central Saanich area on March 24, 2024, according to B.C.‘s online court registry.

Borland, who was born in 1967, is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Victoria on March 10.

The school district urges anyone with information related to the case to contact the Central Saanich Police Department, and says resources are in place to support students and families in the affected communities.