A former teacher who worked in southeast New Brunswick and Newfoundland has pleaded guilty to more charges.
Stephen Riley Blackwood, 37, pleaded guilty in Moncton, N.B., provincial court on Friday to charges of assault, failing to comply with bail conditions, sexually touching minors, and voyeurism.
The charges span various dates in 2022 in Moncton and Fredericton, where he was originally arrested and charged last fall.
Blackwood, who appeared in court by video from a jail in Dalhousie, N.B., answered "guilty" as Judge Suzanne Bernard went through a list of charges.
Those he pleaded guilty to are summary conviction, lesser charges with shorter sentences than indictable offences.
Ran accounts with videos of children
Other charges he faced were either withdrawn Friday or will be withdrawn by the Crown prosecutor when he is sentenced in February.
Blackwood was a supply teacher for the Anglophone East School District between Oct. 26 and Nov. 4, 2022. He previously worked as a substitute teacher in the St. John's metro region for nine years.
He posted multiple videos on social media accounts in recent years, under the name "blamzooka," featuring children at water parks in Ontario and New Brunswick, beaches in various locations, and the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf near Shediac.
Crown prosecutor Renée Roy requested victim impact statements and said the sentencing hearing will likely take half a day.
"I think that the families of the victims and the victims themselves will be happy to see that this matter will come to a conclusion," Roy told reporters outside the courthouse.
"Obviously, the matter is not completely concluded yet. We still have to proceed to sentencing, which is the final step in this process."
Dustin Caissie, Blackwood's lawyer, told reporters Blackwood wants to put what happened behind him.
"He's looking forward to moving on, that's the biggest thing," Caissie said.
The cases against Blackwood began in Fredericton in the fall of 2022. Police in that city were called Nov. 10, 2022, about a man recording children at four hotel pools.
He was later released on bail, but violated his conditions and has remained in custody since December last year awaiting trial.
In September, he pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual interference. Those charges alleged Blackwood directly or indirectly touched people under 16 for a sexual purpose in Moncton and Petitcodiac, N.B., between September and December last year.
A date for sentencing was supposed to be set for those crimes, but police laid even more charges this fall.
On Friday, Blackwood pleaded guilty to two charges of voyeurism, a crime involving surreptitiously recording a person in a situation where they had an expectation of privacy.
The first charge covers July 25, 2022, to Nov. 6, 2022, at the Dieppe aquatics centre. The second charge covers Oct. 15, 2022, to Oct. 23, 2022, at the CEPS Louis-J.-Robichaud pool in Moncton.
Both are summary conviction charges, meaning the maximum jail sentence is up to two years for each.
He also admitted to sexually touching a person under 16 between Oct. 1, 2022, and Dec. 1, 2022, near Moncton.
A summary conviction sexual interference charge carries a sentence of three to 18 months in jail.
He pleaded guilty to another sexual touching charge involving a minor between Sept. 30 and Dec. 1 last year in Moncton. That charge originally alleged a sexual assault but was amended by the Crown on Friday.
He pleaded guilty to sexually touching another minor on Nov. 3 last year in Moncton.
Blackwood admitted to a charge of sexually touching a person with his stomach and chest in Fredericton on Nov. 10 last year. A charge alleging a sexual assault on the same date and location will be withdrawn at sentencing.
He also admitted to assaulting a person in Fredericton on Nov. 10 last year.
Blackwood also admitted to two charges of violating his bail condition in Moncton on Dec. 2, 2022.
He admitted he failed to remain at his father's home and that he went to a location, such as a pool, where children might be present.
Nova Scotia charge outstanding
Blackwood faces a charge in Amherst, N.S., alleging he failed to comply on Nov. 18, 2022, with an order to remain in New Brunswick.
That charge is expected to be dealt with in Moncton when he is sentenced on the other charges.
The judge on Friday asked Blackwood a series of questions to ensure he understood the consequences of his pleas. He responded that he did understand.
Lawyers told the judge that they expect to present a joint sentencing recommendation at the Feb. 2 sentencing hearing.
Former Moncton-area teacher pleads guilty to more charges - CBC.ca
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