Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Monday, June 18, 2007

FORT PROVIDENCE - A former teacher in Fort Providence and Kakisa has been sentenced to 14 months in jail for sex crimes connected to three teenaged students.

Marvin Lizotte, 37, was sentenced in court Thursday after being convicted of three counts of sexual exploitation, stemming from his time as physical education instructor at Deh Gah school in Fort Providence.

The crimes occurred between 1998 and 2002. Crown prosecutor John Macfarlane said Lizotte initiated sexual contact with the students via e-mail. The girls were then between the ages of 14 and 16.

At the time of his arrest in January 2006, Lizotte was the principal and sole teacher of Kakisa Lake school.

Lizotte received 12 months for one count, and a month each for two others - all to be served consecutively. He was initially charged with three counts of sexual assault above and beyond the sexual exploitation charges.

The maximum penalty for sexual exploitation is five years in prison, while the maximum penalty for sexual assault is 10 years.

Aside from his prison sentence, Lizotte will be on the national sex offender registry for the next 20 years, and submitted to a DNA registry with the RCMP.