Charges dismissed against Halifax-area teacher accused of sexual assault

Charges against a Halifax-area teacher accused of sexually assaulting a youth three years ago at a high school have been dismissed, after he agreed to a peace bond that forbids him from contacting the complainant.

Matthew Douglas Moriarty, 42, appeared briefly Thursday in provincial court in Dartmouth, N.S., on charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

Following the court hearing, both the defence and Crown lawyers declined to explain in detail why the case will not head to trial.

"I would say it's a form of vindication for my client," defence lawyer Ron Pizzo said outside the courtroom. "Everyone gets to move on with their life, there's no criminal record. These cases are very devastating."

Moriarty still faces voyeurism charges related to allegations he secretly observed and recorded five women and girls in a washroom last year at the Abenaki Aquatic Club in Dartmouth. He is scheduled for trial on those charges in July.

Moriarty, a language teacher at Woodlawn High School, was placed on leave last summer when the charges were announced by Halifax Regional Police.

Cheryl Schurman, the prosecutor in the Moriarty case, said in an interview the Crown has an ethical duty to determine whether there is a realistic prospect of conviction, and is obliged not to proceed with the case if it doesn't meet that burden.

She said the decision in the Moriarty case that there was no realistic prospect of conviction was not taken "lightly."

Moriarty's peace bond lasts for 12 months. During that time, he is forbidden from contacting the complainant, except through a lawyer, and must at least 50 metres away from their home, school and workplace.

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