Halifax police lay charges in relation to 2021 sexual assault allegation

Halifax Regional Police have charged a man in relation to a sexual assault case dating back to 2021.

Matthew Douglas Moriarty, 42, was charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation. He was arrested last weekat Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Gottingen Street.

Police began investigating the case in August 2023, when it was firstreported to them. Police say the chargesrelateto something that occurred in 2021 at a school in Dartmouth.

"The sexual assault survivor was a youth at the time of the incident and Moriarty was in a position of trust in relation to the survivor, as a teacher," Halifax Regional Police said in a news release.

In July, Moriarty was accused of secretly recording video of people in a Dartmouth washroom.Policealleged he recorded five women and a girl in a washroom at the Abenaki Aquatic Club and laid voyeurism charges against him.The alleged offences happened July 18-20.

Moriarty isa language teacher at Woodlawn High School. The Halifax Regional Centre for Education placed him on leave.

He is scheduledto appearin Dartmouth provincialcourt on Dec. 5to face the new charges as well as for a pre-trial conference. Four days in court are set aside next July for thecharges connected with the aquaticclub washrooms.