Former North Van teacher gets lifetime ban for child pornography offence

A former North Vancouver elementary school teacher has been banned from teaching for life following his conviction for possession of child pornography last year.

Former Ross Road Elementary teacher Graham Christopher Bowering received the ban from the Teacher Regulation Branch after it was deemed he failed to act ethically and “undermined the credibility of the teaching profession by violating laws that protect children from sexual exploitation.”

Bowering, 53, was charged with possession of child pornography in April of 2021.

Sunshine Coast RCMP began investigating the Gibsons resident in August 2020 after being notified by an Internet Service Provider about an account holder who had child pornography in their possession.

On Feb. 28, 2021, RCMP executed a search warrant at Bowering’s home, seizing videos, images and writing that police deemed were consistent with child pornography.

Bowering didn’t inform the school of the search, and continued teaching until spring break began on March 12, 2021, according to a summary of background facts by the Teacher Regulation Branch. He was subsequently arrested on March 15, 2021 and began a leave of absence from the North Vancouver school district on March 29 of that year.

Almost 11 months later, on Feb. 2, 2022, Bowering pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography between 2014 and 2021.

He was formally fired by the school district shortly after.

On Jan. 31, 2023, Bowering was sentenced to a 10-month conditional sentence followed by two years’ probation. As part of the sentence, Bowering was ordered not to be alone with anyone under the age of 16, to submit a DNA sample and to be included in the national sex offender registry.

In determining that a lifetime teaching ban was appropriate, Commissioner Ana Mohammed wrote that Bowering’s offences were on the “serious end of the spectrum.”