Iglulik (Jul 03/06) - Sex-related charges against an Iglulik teacher have caused a stir in the community.

Shawn Henry Baybutt, 36, is accused of having sexually assaulted a girl under 14 years of age in Sydney, Nova Scotia, where he was visiting relatives in June. The police believe Baybutt and the girl may have been communicating through an Internet chat line.

Baybutt has been a teacher for two years at Iglulik's Ataguttaaluk school, where he was expected to return this fall.

Police have made local inquiries but have no indication that the accused posed any danger to children in the community.

"We don't have anything that would lead us to believe something would have happened here in Iglulik, not at this point," said Cpl. Andre Turcotte of the Iglulik RCMP detachment, Wednesday. "He was well respected by most students, from my understanding."

Turcotte added that Baybutt had never been a suspect in any crime since moving to Iglulik.

Joe Immaroitok, a hamlet councillor, said Baybutt was his son's Grade 7 teacher this past year, but his son never made much mention of him and he wasn't well known in the community.

"We don't see this guy too often this winter. Everybody's asking about him," said Immaroitok. "We're kind of really shocked from what we've heard (of the alleged crime) on the radio."

The Iglulik district education authority (DEA) was planning to meet to discuss what subsequent actions to take, according to DEA chair Aime Panimera.

However, he acknowledged that a hiring committee can't possibly always know an individual's tendencies.

"These kinds of things are extremely hard to predict," Panimera admitted.

One concrete step that can be taken is to remind adolescents of potential threats lurking on the Internet. That's something the police have tried to reinforce in the schools, Cpl. Turcotte said.

"We've given lots of lectures over the past year... about how to use the computer safely and not being caught in these sorts of incidents, or (communicate with someone) you might trust at first but shouldn't trust," he said.

Baybutt was released on $10,000 bail following a hearing in Baddeck provincial court on Friday morning.

He is required to live with his parents, who paid bail, in Vancouver, B.C. As other conditions of his release, he's not permitted to use the Internet or be in the presence of children under age 14 unless he's in the company of another adult who doesn't have a criminal record.

His next court appearance will be a preliminary hearing in Sydney on Jan. 16.