Teacher Robert Pickering charged with historical sexual assaults in Vaughan

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Free $30 Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Free $30 Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

Investigators working out of the York Regional Police Crimes Against Children Unit have charged a 56-year-old man in connection with numerous historical sexual assaults against two victims, dating back to 1985.

On Thursday, December 9, 2010, police charged the accused with sexual offences that occurred  between 1985 and 1992 at the Toronto Waldorf School located in the City of Vaughan.

Both victims  were 17 years old when the alleged offences occurred.

The accused is currently employed by the Toronto Waldorf School campus located within the City of  Vaughan.

The school issued a written statement stating that Mr. Pickering is on a forced leave after hearing of the allegations from two former female students. The school said it is co-operating with police.

Investigators believe there may be more victims that have not come forward and are urging anyone with information to call police.

CHARGED:

• Robert PICKERING, 56, of Kettleby

CHARGES:

• Sexual Assault x 2
• Sexual Exploitation
• Seduction of a Female Between 16 and 18 Years

Mr. Pickering has been held in custody and will appear next before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on Friday, December 10, 2010.

Editor Note: Readers please note that Mr. Pickering is innocent till proven guilty.
 

Share with friends
You can publish this article on your website as long as you provide a link back to this page.

15 Comments

  1. He was one of the best most kindest teachers I ever had. He was full of life and energy and enthusiasm and made my learning of the sciences which were not my forte exhilarating and fun.

    I am sorry to hear this news. However no matter who you are if you take a good deep down look into ourselves we all have made mistakes, regret and learn from them and we all have human disorders in many shapes and forms and weaknesses and if his was women I have no doubt he was also seduced by these girls who at that young age probably got a rise out of the attention.

  2. Historical. Happened in the past. Should have been dealt with in the past. In that way everyone involved could have been helped in whatever way help was required. For what purpose but revenge can this being brought forth now be.

  3. [quote name=”Kit”]He was one of the best most kindest teachers I ever had. He was full of life and energy and enthusiasm and made my learning of the sciences which were not my forte exhilarating and fun.

    I am sorry to hear this news. However no matter who you are if you take a good deep down look into ourselves we all have made mistakes, regret and learn from them and we all have human disorders in many shapes and forms and weaknesses and if his was women I have no doubt he was also seduced by these girls who at that young age probably got a rise out of the attention.[/quote]

    What is wrong with you? accusing the girls for “wanting attention”??? Way to put blame on the abused and perpetuate the entitlement for abusing girls who “ask for it”. This not only is a fucked up turn on blame but also deters victims of abuse for ever coming forward out of self blame. yes, i speak from experience.

  4. Dear Kit:

    What is wrong with you? accusing the girls for “wanting attention”??? Way to put blame on the abused and perpetuate the entitlement for abusing girls who “ask for it”. This not only is a messed up turn on blame but also deters victims of abuse for ever coming forward out of self blame. yes, i speak from experience.

  5. [quote name=”Susan”]Historical. Happened in the past. Should have been dealt with in the past. In that way everyone involved could have been helped in whatever way help was required. For what purpose but revenge can this being brought forth now be.[/quote]

    How about these reasons: justice, fairness, healing, prevention of more abuse, protection of current students. Your comment_content is understandable, but unhelpful and petty.

  6. I cried when I saw Bob on the news. This puts sexual assault in a whole new perspective for me. A genuinely good and wonderful man is still capable of making mistakes with terrible and lasting consequences for both himself and his victims.
    While I doubt that he would have acted without believing the girls were consenting, he should have known better. Legally there could be no consent. Obviously his actions were felt by these girls deeply and it took great courage to come forward.
    No one should blame the victims in this case or any assault case. Reporting this was the right thing to do. They deserve support no matter if consent is a fuzzy area. The law is not fuzzy.

    I mourn the fact that a teacher who has inspired and dedicated his life to his students must now face justice. Justice is impartial and can deal only in cold law and not conscomment_IDer the good that Bob has done in his career. I wish for healing and true justice for the girls, Bob, and the community.

  7. At first a nice men. But if you stick around for a while, not that nice. First of all, you don’t shit where you eat. And if you like to take advantge of little girls, maybe you should not be a teacher in the first place. The thing is that he has been with the school for some time and he practically ownes the place together with a few other indivcomment_IDuals. They pretty much do anything they want. This school has become a bussines that is controled by a few families. They make their own rules and answer in front of nobody. Great organization!
    I hope he will be found not guilty.

  8. I had Bob as a teacher for a couple years but had known him for even longer. He is an extremely nice and caring man, connected very will with his students, made learning science a blast, and always had everyones best interests at heart. I hope he is proven not guilty.

  9. I was a student from Grade 2-13 at TWS. Bob was my teacher for many years and a mentor as well. As a female student, I respected Bob as a teacher and an indivcomment_IDual. It was with great sadness that I learned of these Charges. In my mind he is innocent until proven guilty. I cannot imagine what his family is going through as this is such a tight knit comminity.

  10. I am very sad to hear this news. There were always rumors of an affair with an older (oac) student long ago, and he was definitely a flirtatious man, but I can’t ever picture him doing anything harmful, or non-consenting.

  11. I’m a former student, and i enjoyed having bob as a teacher. I can’t see him taking advantage of anyone like that, although he was known to be a flirtatious man. Maybe his nature was misinterpreted. The only thing i ever heard of was a consentual affair with an older (oac) student. I hope he is not found guilty.

  12. “I am deeply saddened to hear of these news. He was a great science teacher and used to play the guitar. I can’t imagine him doing these things.Maybe he was wrongly convicted.”

  13. I am a former student of the Toronto Waldorf School. Although I dcomment_ID not know Bob as well as some, I saw him in a completely different light than most posters here. To me, bob was a mysterious, guarded man. He was unlike the rest of the happy go lucky, high on life teachers at the school. Both in terms of his strange personality, and his apparent higher rank in the power hierarchy at the school. Bob had lied to me quite thoroughly during my time at the Waldorf school. Like other students, I had also heard rumours of Bobs sexual involvement with an unknown student(s).
    If convicted, I am certain that his cell mates will make his stay a pleasant one. We all know how popular 56 year old pedophiles are in prison. Let him rot.

    -FTW.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.


*