Grade 8 teacher accused of sex crimes against students granted bail again
Kelly-Anne Jennings, 40, rearrested on Oct. 24 for allegedly breaching bail conditions
An Ontario school teacher accused of multiple sexual offences involving students has been again released on bail after she was rearrested for allegedly breaching her bail conditions, CBC News has learned.
Kelly-Anne Jennings is on unpaid leave from her job as a Grade 8 teacher at St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School in Port Hope, Ont., as she faces 18 sex crime charges, including sexual assault on a boy under 14.
Jennings, 40, is accused of both making child pornography and distributing sexually explicit material to a minor, according to court records seen by CBC. All offences are alleged to have occurred between June 2022 and April 2024 in Port Hope, part of Northumberland County, east of Toronto.
Port Hope police Insp. Katie Andrews told CBC that Jennings spent five days in custody following her most recent arrest on Oct. 24 on charges of failing to comply with a release order.
According to police, Jennings was found to have breached a previous bail condition that barred her from attending places where children are likely to be, such as a public park or swimming pool.
Andrews said a Cobourg, Ont., court released the accused to her surety in late October with additional conditions. Jennings is now allowed to attend places where children are likely to be, as long as her own children and her surety are present, according to Andrews.
Banned from school
Steven O'Sullivan, director of education at the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, previously told CBC the teacher had been employed at the school since 2016. After her initial arrest, Jennings was put on administrative leave and prohibited from visiting board properties or interacting with students, O'Sullivan said.
"She has no access to our facilities or students at this time," school board spokesperson Galen Eagle said in an email on Wednesday.
Four minors, whose identities are covered by a publication ban, are named in court records as alleged victims. Police said in September that there may be more victims.
Jennings was first charged in August after a male student told his mother that there was allegedly touching with a teacher on a class trip. The mother told police during the week of Aug. 21.
WATCH: Teacher faces sex assault charge
Police later said three more complainants had come forward, which led to further charges.
Port Hope police said the Grade 8 teacher communicated with her alleged victims over social media platforms including Snapchat. Interviews with complainants and witnesses raised "lots of red flags," a senior officer said.
Cellphone video recently shared with CBC appears to show at least five officers arriving at the Peterborough, Ont., house listed on a court charge sheet as Jennings' home.
Her lawyer, Paul Socka, had previously declined to comment on the case and did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Jennings is scheduled to return to court in Cobourg in December. The charges against her have not been proven in court.
With files from CBC News