8th grade teacher who allegedly committed sexual crimes against his students was released on bail again

An Ontario school teacher accused of multiple sex crimes involving students has been released on bail again after being rearrested for allegedly violating bail conditions, CBC News has learned.

Kelly-Anne Jennings, St. Mary’s Church in Port Hope, Ontario. He is taking unpaid leave from his job as an 8th grade teacher at St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School because he faces 18 sex crime charges, including sexual assault of a boy under the age of 14.

Jennings, 40, is accused of both producing child pornography and distributing sexually explicit material to a minor, according to court records reviewed by CBC. All of the crimes are alleged to have occurred between June 2022 and April 2024 in Port Hope, which is part of Northumberland County, east of Toronto.

Port Hope police investigator. Katie Andrews told CBC that Jennings spent five days in custody after his arrest on October 24 on charges of failing to comply with a release order.

According to police, Jennings was found to have violated a previous bail condition that prevented him from going to places where children might be present, such as a public park or swimming pool.

A court in Cobourg, Ontario, released the defendant on bond with additional conditions in late October, Andrews said. According to Andrews, Jennings is now allowed to go to places where children may be present as long as his own children and a guarantor are present.

Officers were spotted outside Peterborough, Ontario. In a video shared with CBC News, the home is listed as Kelly-Anne Jennings’ address. (Not sent by name)

Banned from school

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board director of education Steven O’Sullivan previously told CBC the teacher had been with the school since 2016. Following his initial arrest, Jennings was placed on administrative leave and prohibited from visiting the board. Interacting with properties or students is important, O’Sullivan said.

“He does not have access to our facilities or students at this time,” school board spokesman Galen Eagle said in an email Wednesday.

The names of 4 minors, whose identities are covered by a publication ban, are alleged to be victims in court records. Police said there may be more victims in September.

Jennings was first charged in August after a male student claimed he touched his mother with a teacher on a class field trip. The mother gave a statement to police the week of August 21.

WATCH: Teacher faces sexual assault charges

Three more complainants later came forward, which led to more charges, police said.

Port Hope police said the Grade 8 teacher communicated with the alleged victims through social media platforms, including Snapchat. A senior official said interviews with complainants and witnesses had raised “many red flags”.

Cellphone video recently shared with CBC shows at least five officers arriving at the Peterborough, Ont., home listed as Jennings’ home on the court charge sheet.

His attorney, Paul Socka, had previously declined to comment on the case and did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Jennings is scheduled to return to court in Cobourg in December. The charges against him were not proven in court.