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INUVIK
Inuvik resident Hugues Latour appeared in territorial court in Yellowknife on Tuesday regarding charges of assault, forcible confinement, sexual assault, sexual interference against a person under the age of 14, possession of child pornography and making or publishing child pornography.

The proceedings were conducted in French, with Judge Christine Gagnon explaining details to the court in English.

Latour, 38, was scheduled to elect how he wants to be tried, either by judge alone or by judge and jury, however his lawyer Serge Petitpas asked the court for more time to consult with his client.

Crown prosecutor Marc Lecorre elected to proceed under indictment, which carries a harsher penalty, on the charges involving sexual assault and child pornography. The Crown is proceeding summarily on the failure to comply, assault, and forcible confinement charges. This case is scheduled to be in Yellowknife court again on March 20 at 1:30 p.m.

On March 6, Latour was in Inuvik Territorial Court for trial on charges of forcible entry, common assault and breach of the terms and conditions of his release from jail on a prior charge. That trial was delayed until May, still to be heard in Inuvik. The Crown sought the adjournment application because one of two witnesses did not make it on a flight from Edmonton to be present for the trial.

Latour has been held in jail since his arrest in October and has not requested release on bail. He has lived in Inuvik since 2007, taught Grades 5 and 6 at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and worked as Samuel Hearne Secondary School's French immersion teacher. He has not worked at either school since 2010.

– with files from Katherine Hudson

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