Halifax-area teacher charged in child luring investigation

Posted November 12, 2026 2:42 pm

2 min read

A Halifax-area high school teacher has been charged in connection with a child luring investigation.

Nova Scotia RCMP said officers received information on Oct. 30 that someone in Halifax had “communicated with a youth for a sexual purpose” online.

Police said investigators identified the online user as a Cole Harbour man on Nov. 6.

Three days later, members of the Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Unit and other teams arrested the man at a traffic stop near his home, RCMP said in a Thursday news release.

Officers also seized electronic devices.

A search warrant was executed on Flying Cloud Drive in Cole Harbour and more electronic evidence was seized, police added.

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Bennett Gordon Thomas, 33, has been charged with Luring a Child and Making Sexually Explicit Material Available to a Child.

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Police said Thomas was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court on Dec. 16.

“Investigators believe additional victims may have been targeted online and are urging parents and guardians to speak with their children about online safety,” RCMP said.

“Report any suspicious activity or communication to local police.”

In an email sent to parents, the principal of Woodlawn High School in Dartmouth informed families that “a member of our staff has been arrested and is facing serious charges related to an incident that occurred outside of school.”

The email, a copy of which Global News has seen, links to the RCMP release about the child luring charge. The principal goes on to say that the individual has been placed on leave, that the school is cooperating fully with the investigation and that counsellors are available to support students.

Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) spokesperson Lindsey Bunin confirmed an employee is “facing serious charges.”

“The employee has been placed on leave and families have been notified. The safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority, and I can assure you that HRCE takes these matters very seriously,” she told Global News in an email.

“As this is a personnel matter, and a police investigation, we are unable to provide further comment.”