Former teacher facing new sex assault charges (UPDATED)

Stephen Joseph Schacter
Stephen Joseph Schacter

Updated on Monday, Feb. 29 at 1:04 p.m.


Stephen Joseph Schacter, a former teacher at two Toronto-area Jewish day schools, was re-arrested last week in connection with several new sexual offences.

Schacter, 55, was charged with one count of gross indecency, one count of sexual interference, one count of sexual exploitation and two counts of sexual assault.

Police say the charges date to the 1980s and early 1990s.

Schacter still faces a charge of possessing child pornography, for which he was arrested in December.

Schacter was a teacher at Eitz Chaim Schools between 1986 and 2004. At a Feb. 29 press conference, police said Schacter taught grades 2 and 3 at Eitz Chaim.

Police also said he was an office administrator, student supervisor, and supply teacher at United Synagogue Day School (now Robbins Hebrew Academy) between 2004 until 2006.

He was a primary teacher’s assistant for grade one and two at Pleasant Avenue Public School in 2004 and was a private tutor from 2009 until 2011.

Det.-Const. Joel Manherz of the police sex crimes unit’s child exploitation section said three victims have come forward to police to allege they were abused in the 1980s and 1990s.

READ: FORMER TORONTO DAY SCHOOL HEAD ARRESTED ON CHILD PORN CHARGES IN CALIFORNIA

In response to questions, Manherz said the three complainants who have come forward so far had not reported the incidents to the school.

He said schools “absolutely” have an obligation to alert police. “The first thing people should be doing is calling the police when they get allegations like this.”

At a bail hearing Feb. 24 on the new charges, the judge ordered a publication ban to prevent the identification of witnesses and to preserve Schacter’s right to a fair trial.

Bail was set at $10,000. Schacter was released into the custody of his mother. Under the bail conditions, he cannot have contact with minors, among several restrictions. He is permitted to attend synagogue in the company of three adults.

He’s scheduled to return to court on March 17.