Former London, Ont. teacher Ryan Jarvis has been sentenced to six months behind bars in a voyeurism case that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Jarvis, a teacher at H.B. Beal Secondary School, was initially acquitted in 2015 by a lower court on the voyeurism charge, before being convicted by Canada's highest court in February.
More than two dozen videos of young female students were found on a hidden pen camera. They were taken in 2010 and 2011 in various locations inside the school.
The lower court judge said that while the actions were repugnant, he wasn't convinced the recordings were for a sexual purpose.
An appeal court agreed with the acquittal for different reasons, concluding the videos were for a sexual purpose, but the students shouldn't expect privacy in communal scool areas.
However, the higher court said his teenage students had a reasonable expectation they would not be recorded by their teacher. There was also a board policy in effect prohibiting such videos.
The 41-year-old had earlier resigned from teaching as was suspended by the Ontario College of Teachers.
In addition to the jail term he will also serve one year of probation.
The case has prompted a great deal of discussion about what precedent it could set for privacy laws going forward.
This is the first time the SCOC has examinded the voyeurism offence, which was introduced into the criminal code in 2005.
Reaction to sentencing
Handing down his sentence, Superior Court Justice Andrew Goodman noted the position of power Jarvis held over his 27 victims - as their teacher - and the fact most were under 18.
One woman who was 14 when the videos were taken tells CTV News reliving it over and over has been like living through the trauma day to day.
"Okay, 2015 I came back here, I had to relive it. Okay, Court of Appeal, had to relive it. Back to Ottawa, had to relive it. Two weeks ago I had to relive it. Back today I have to relive it. It's finally done and I was fighting for it to be done."
Another victm's father says the experience has had a lasting impact.
"This might be the single most influential event in her life, basically because, as you know, the genesis of this was a judge saying [to Jarvis] you are repugnant and disgusting, you are free to go."
Jarvis reportedly finally began to seek counselling this spring, eight years after his arrest.
Jarvis's father meanwhile expressed his anger at the media, saying the proceedings had been turned into a 'publicity stunt.'
- With files from CTV London's Bryan Bicknell
